May The Best Man Win
by Music1623
Summary: Jake only had one simple task. That task was to keep an eye on Olivia. However, things get complicated when Fitz figures out that Olivia and Jake are getting too close for comfort.
1. It's Not Over

Chapter 1- It's Not Over

He was looking at the pictures that were spread out on the desk and he still couldn't believe what he was seeing. There were dozens of pictures that confirmed his worst fear. All of the pictures showed Olivia and Jake together. The two of them taking a stroll in the park with her left arm interlocked with Jake's right arm. Then there were pictures of them having dinner at a popular restaurant downtown. There were pictures of Jake leaving Olivia's office and apartment building. It was evident to Fitz that Olivia was enjoying Jake's company. She was either smiling or laughing in the pictures and he couldn't help but think when Olivia use to be that way with him. But there was one picture that caught his eye more than the others. It was a picture of Olivia and Jake in a loving embrace with their arms wrapped around each at the waist. They were smiling at each other and completely oblivious of what was going on around them. Fitz knew it was time to put the pictures back in the envelope when he starting to feel like he couldn't breathe and felt knots forming in his stomach. After putting the pictures away, Fitz turned around his chair and stared out the window. He couldn't believe how everything was turning out between him and Olivia but he was determined to straighten it out. He didn't know how but he knew he wasn't going to stop until he got his Livy back. Even if that it meant he would had to suffer without having her for a little while longer. Fitz was completely lost his thoughts. So lost in them that he didn't hear when the door to the Oval Office opened and closed.

"Good evening, Mr. President," Fitz heard someone say.

"Good evening, Jake", Fitz replied while turning around in his chair. He walked around his desk and greeted Jake with a handshake. What Fitz really wanted to do was knock his lights out but quickly decided against it. He was the President first and foremost and he knew he needed to act like he was. "Please have a seat, Fitz said. Jake took a seat while Fitz remained standing but leaning against his desk.

"So, what did you need sir?" Jake asked, wondering what he was doing there.

"Did you get rid of the cameras that you installed in Olivia's apartment?" Fitz asked.

'Not yet but I no longer watch her just like you requested," Jake replied.

"Ok. You will be removing them soon, correct?"

"Yes. I've just been busy with work lately so I haven't had the time to do much else. "

"Ok," Fitz said, now in deep thought.

"Jake, I would like for you to stay away from Olivia Pope," Fitz blurted out.

"Excuse me?" Jake said, wondering if he heard correctly.

"You heard me correctly, Jake. Your job was to simply keep an eye on her and now your services are no longer needed."

"I already know my services are no longer need. What I'm trying to figure out is why you are telling me to stay away from her. Who said I was seeing her in the first place?" Jake questioned.

"I have proof right her," Fitz said picking up the envelope and tossing it into Jake's lap. "There are dozens are photos that show you and Olivia spending quality time together. This was not part of the original plan, Jake."

"Not part of the original plan? The only plan was to keep an eye on her because you felt like she was a threat to national security or that she was in some type of danger because she use to work for you. Never once did anything come up about me interacting with her in person was off limits," Jake responded.

Fitz let out a sigh and ran a hand through his hair. "Well Jake, I have come to the conclusion that she is not a threat or in danger due to the information you have been providing for me the past few months," Fitz said.

Jake let a small laugh. He knew what was really going on but he knew Fitz wouldn't come out and admit it to him. So Jake decided that he would have to drag the information out of him instead. "You know Fitz, I just have this one problem with this whole situation. I get that you wanted to keep an eye on Olivia for specific reasons. I know you wanted me to do it because I'm one of the few people you can trust. And I understand you no longer need me to do surveillance. But what I don't understand is why do you care so much about who she is spending her spare time with?" Jake said with his eyes locked on Fitz's one.

"Like you said not too long ago Jake, I have my reasons," Fitz said, staring back at Jake.

"Ok, let me break this down for you a little more since you still not giving me the right answer. Why do you care so much that Olivia and I are spending quality time together? I mean you are married to that cute wife of yours and you have three kids. Let's not forget that you are the President of the United States. You're a happily married man but you're telling me to stay away from Olivia. Do you care to share why you would like me to respect your wishes or do you mind if I do the honors," Jake said.

Fitz eyes were still locked on Jake's wondering if he really knew the answer to his own question. Of course there were some people who knew about Fitz's relationship with Olivia but it was hard for him to believe that Jake knew. If by chance he did know, the question now was how did he found out.

"I know about you and Olivia's relationship. I'll admit it did take me a while to figure things out. But when I did everything just clicked. Olivia saying she didn't date, didn't want to talk about past relationships, and didn't want to talk about when she worked at the White House. The biggest red flag, of course, was her never wanting to talk about your campaign. I told her that I wanted to know how she managed to pull of one of the greatest victories that this country has ever seen. However, all she would say is that you had a great campaign staff. Now, we all know Olivia single handily rebuilt your campaign. So, why does she always avoid the topic like it's forbidden to?" Jake said.

"Perhaps she just doesn't want to take the credit for everything. She knows it took a team to put me in the White House and that everyone pulled their own weight to make it happen. We all know that Olivia is a modest woman as well, Fitz said.

"Yeah, if you say so", Jake said with a smirk. "Well I don't think there is anything else left say." Jake stood up to leave but Fitz wasn't done with the conversation yet.

"We have a good friendship Jake. It goes back to the days when we use to be in the Naval Academy together. But I'm warning you, stay the hell away from Olivia. Trust me it's for your own good," Fitz said. He wanted to repeat himself one more time to make sure there would not be any more misunderstandings down the road.

"Mr. President is that a threat?" Jake said moving closer to Fitz.

"Let's just say it's a promise," Fitz said. He was now standing up straighter to let Jake know that he meant business.

Jake turned to leave but stopped when he was almost halfway across the room and turned back to Fitz. He wanted to make sure Fitz knew that he wasn't going to leave Olivia alone. Not by a long shot. "You know I forgot to tell you. That heart shaped birth mark that Olivia has on her side is very nice. However, the one she has on her inner thigh is - "

Before Jake could even finish what he was saying Fitz had his hands wrapped around Jake's throat. By time Jake realized that Fitz was choking him, they were already on the floor.

"You son of a bitch,"Fitz yelled. With his right hand around Jake's throat, Fitz pulled his left fist back as far as he could and threw his fist down as hard as possible into Jake's nose.

_Ahhh!_ Jake yelled out, as Fitz fist connected with his face. And then other punch came. But before Fitz could throw a third punch, Jake blocked it with his right arm and threw a left punch that connected with Fitz's jaw. Fitz was immediately knocked to the floor and Jake quickly jumped on top of him. He sent one hard punch that connected with Fitz's mouth.

"You picked the wrong one to fight with, Fitz," Jake said with anger in his voice. He threw two more punches that landed on Fitz's his mouth again.

Jake lifted Fitz up by his shirt collar to get a better look at him. "Now sir, this is not the way to end a peaceful meeting. You should not be going around conducting yourself this way. The American people would not be happy knowing that they elected a president who has a temper problem. "

Fitz just stared at Jake not saying a word. Not because he was afraid of Jake but just waiting for the right opportunity to remind Jake who was in charge.

"If you haven't caught on by now Fitz I will make myself perfectly clear. I will not leave Olivia alone. Not until she tells me herself that's what she wants. Do I make myself clear, Mr. President?" Jake said.


	2. Complicated

Chapter 2: Complicated 

_Why do you have to go and make things so complicated?- Avril Lavigne_

Before the question was out completely out of Jake's mouth, Fitz threw his head and launched it forward as hard as possible. In one swift move, Fitz head connected with Jake's face and he gave him a big push. Jake landed on his back and Fitz jumped on top of him once again with more anger than before. After the fourth punch to Jake's nose, Fitz could see blood starting to flow out of it. Seeing the sight of blood didn't stop Fitz from taking his frustration out on Jake's face. The blood was actually motivation to continue making Jake hurt just as much as he was hurting being without his Livy.

Fitz threw three more punches and then he saw blood coming from Jake's mouth. He was getting ready to throw another punch but felt himself being pulled off of Jake. It was Tom. Tom had to half carried half dragged Fitz over to the sofa.

"Sir, you have to calm down." Tom said to Fitz.

"I'm fine Tom. Really I am," Fitz said. Tom knew that Fitz was lying but he decided not to push the issue. Tom released Fitz and Fitz plopped on the sofa.

"Hal, escort him off of the premise", Tom said giving a head nod towards Jake.

"No need for an escort," Jake said slowly picking himself off the floor. "I'm a big boy. I can see myself out," he said with a small laugh. He took the sleeve of his shirt and wiped his nose. "This isn't over Fitz. We are just getting warmed up, Jake said. Hal grabbed Jake but the arm and lead him out the room.

"Are you sure you are okay, sir?" Tom asked turning his attention back to Fitz.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Fitz responded.

Cyrus, who came in with Hal and Tom, was standing in the corner. He was still a little shocked at the small part of the fight he saw between Fitz and Jake. Fitz was never a person who you wanted to cross on a bad day but Cyrus couldn't understand what pissed him off so much that it led to a fist fight. Fitz just never was the type to physically hurt someone. Cyrus walked over to Fitz's desk and pulled out a box of tissue from one of the drawers.

"Here sir, you may need this," Cyrus said handing Fitz the tissue box. Fitz didn't realize that he had a busted lip until that moment.

"Thanks Cy," Fitz said looking up at Cyrus.

"No problem. Now sir, would you like to tell me what the hell that was?" Cyrus said looking at Fitz.

"That was an ass whoopin' Cyrus," Fitz said sarcastically.

"Sir, I'm well aware that it was a fight. However, I don't understand what could provoke you to get in a fight? Especially when I saw that it was Jake Ballard," Cyrus said.

Fitz leaned back into the sofa and let out a sigh. "It's complicated, Cyrus" Fitz said looking at Cyrus.

"Complicated should have been your middle name instead of Thomas," Cyrus replied. Fitz rolled his eyes

"Cy I don't want to talk about it, ok?" Fitz said. He knew if Cyrus found out what the fight was about he would get a lecture. A lecture was the last thing he wanted to hear right now.

"I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that the fight was about Olivia Pope. Am I right?" Cyrus said.

Fitz didn't say anything.

"Tom, we need the room," Cyrus said. Tom nodded and left the room. Cyrus took a seat next to Fitz.

"Damn it, sir. You are the President of the United States. Not some middle or high school boy who picks a fight with the guy who is messing with his girl. In this case, you and Olivia are no longer together. You pushed her away. That means you don't get to throw a hissy fit when she starts spending time with someone else. All of this could've been avoided if you talked to her sooner about Defiance. But now, now she is just trying to move on and be happy again. If that includes being with Jake, then that's just how it's going to be. Unfortunately for you Mr. President, you brought this upon yourself. So, put on your big boy pants and deal with it. Deal with it in a more constructive way before you put someone in a coma or get slapped with a lawsuit. Or worst, ruin your presidency."

Fitz looked at Cyrus like he was half crazy. "Are you done with this lecture, Cy?" Fitz said was agitation in his voice. Between seeing the photos and getting in a fight with Jake he was completely exhausted.

Cyrus gave Fitz a quick look over. "Yeah, we are done," Cyrus said.

"Good," Fitz said standing up. "What don't you go home and spend some time with James?"

"That's where I was heading until you decided to lose your mind tonight, Cyrus said while standing up. "You know we are playing on taking Ella to the zoo in a few days. James has been dying to take her so I finally caved in."

"That's good, Fitz responded. You should bring her by soon. I could use a visit from her. I'm sure Teddy will enjoy having her around for a little while too."

"Indeed," Cyrus said and Fitz nodded.

Sir, take my advice on this. It's the healthiest thing that you can do right now. We can't have the president going around with a busted lip on a daily basis.

"Ok, daddy. I heard you loud and clear. I promise to play nice with Jake next time," Fitz said sarcastically.

"Let's hope there won't be a next time, Mr. President," Cyrus said.

* * *

Jake unlocked the door to his truck and climbed inside. He slammed the door shut and looked down at his shirt. "Damn," he said under his breath. His shirt was stained with blood. He also noticed there was more blood on it that he originally thought. He unbuttoned his shirt and took it off. After he balled it up he wiped his face clean with it. His phone vibrated in his pocket and he knew it could only be one person. He smiled a little to himself when he saw the name that was on the screen.

"Hello?" Jake said into the phone

"Hello Jake. How did the talk go?" The voice on the other line said.

"It went okay until I got into a fight with him," Jake said.

"A fight?" The person said, with a little concern in their voice.

"Yeah. I said some things that he really didn't want to hear. But everything is okay now. Of course, that is until Fitz gets pissed off again."

"Well, I'm sure that this will not be the last time you will piss him off. Just stay on focus on the task at hand and try not to get side tracked."

"You don't have to worry about that happening. I can handle Fitz, Jake responded. But I do have to go. I have some things I need to do before heading home."

"Ok, that's fine. See you soon?" the voice said

"Of course," Jake said.

"Good. Have a good night."

"You too," Jake said and hung up the phone.

Nights like this was when Jake sometimes questioned what he was doing. He knew the closer he got to Olivia the more things would get complicated. He could deal with complications but it was the consequences that he wasn't so sure he could deal with.


	3. Kiss

**(This was supposed to be said a long time ago but better late than never.) Hello everyone! I'm fairly new at this so I'm still trying to get the hang of it (Which I'm sure some of you can tell lol). Thanks for taking the time to read this story and I hope you enjoy it. I will try my best to update in a reasonable amount of time. I don't own Scandal or anything related to it. I also don't own any of the song lyrics.**

* * *

Chapter 3: Kiss

_I just want your extra time and your kiss- Kiss by Prince_

Olivia tossed and turned in her king size bed. It was one of those nights were she couldn't sleep because her mind was in overdrive. When Fitz told her to no longer wait for him it devastated her. She knew Fitz had found out Defiance by the way he talked to her. Her way of dealing with it was by blaming herself and leaving Fitz alone. There were many days she wanted to contact Fitz to tell him everything about Defiance. She knew he deserved to know the whole truth. Not only the whole truth but also how much she regretted her involvement. But she just couldn't bring herself to being subjected to that type of treatment from Fitz again.

Then the day of Ella's christening came. She knew that it was going to be a hard day but that turned out to be an understatement. Being in the same room with Fitz that day brought back good and bad memories. In spite of all the emotions she experienced she was determined to tell Fitz everything that day. But things only got worse after they had sex in the electrical closet. Fitz managed to cut her down to almost nothing again when he insulted her, ignored her apology, and told her that it was over. It was now two months since she apologized and she still couldn't sleep any better. She knew it wasn't the ideal apologize but it was better than nothing for now.

Olivia's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of her phone rigging. She turned on her side and picked up the phone.

"Hello?" Olivia said softly into the phone

'Hello there sleeping beauty," Jake said with a small laugh. Olivia was surprised to hear from Jake but she didn't mind him calling. It would give her a temporary break from thinking about Fitz.

"Sleeping beauty?" she responded with a little laugh. "Well Mr. Ballard, you have the beauty part right. As for the sleeping part it is non-existed at the moment."

"Well we can't have that happening Ms. Pope. Is there anything that I can do to help sleep?" Jake said. He was being serious but mostly flirting.

"Talking to me right now will help," Olivia said

"You trying to say that I'm so boring to talk to that it will help you sleep? That hurts you know," he said trying to sound hurt.

"No, that's not what I meant, she said with a smile. "It's that talking to you will help me clear my head. Hopefully that will help me get some sleep."

"Oh okay. That makes perfect sense. Would you like to talk about why you can't sleep?"

Jake was tempted to turn on the surveillance monitors to watch Olivia while they talked. He felt like that would help him feel closer to her in some way but decided against it. Things were moving in the direction that he needed and wanted it to. Watching her was no longer necessary.

Olivia sighed and sat up in bed. She leaned back against the headboard of her bed. She couldn't let Jake know the main reason why she couldn't sleep. But she could share with him some other things that were keeping her up.

She spent the next hour explaining to Jake what was going on. She told him about how her sister Alicia, who was seven months pregnant, almost went into early labor earlier that week. Then she told him about how overwhelm she had been feeling when it came to work lately.

"I really think going back home for a while will help. It'll give me a chance to spend some time with my sister and get a much needed break from work," Olivia said.

"I'm sure it will help," Jake said. "How long will you be there?

"Just for a few days. I don't want to stay away from work too long."

"Okay," Jake said with a little laugh

"What's so funny?" Olivia said with a smile.

"I just find it funny that you said you need a break from work. Then when you have a chance to get a break you rush it to go back to work," Jake said still laughing.

"Okay, that's not funny," Olivia said trying to sound hurt but the playfulness in her voice gave it away.

"My sincere apology ma'am," Jake said making Olivia laugh again

"Apology accepted, for now" Olivia said. But I would like to apologize again for the other day."

"Olivia, you don't have to keep apologizing for what happened," Jake said honestly.

"I know but I still feel bad about it"

"I know you do but you shouldn't."

"Okay, I promise to stop feeling bad about it and not bring it up anymore, Olivia said.

"Good," Jake said. He checked the clock on his wall and saw it was almost 2 o'clock in the morning.

"Well, I think I'm going to try and get some sleep. Thanks for calling, Olivia said.

"You're very welcome. Have a good night Olivia."

"Have a good night too Jake." Olivia said and hung up the phone. She scooted down in her bed and got comfortable. Within a few minutes she fell asleep and slept the rest of the night without waking up.

* * *

**_One Week Earlier_**

"I've come bearing gifts. Well, I should say food," Jake said with a smile.

"This is a nice surprise. Bringing food is always a plus," Olivia said smiling back at Jake. She stepped aside and let him into her apartment.

Olivia closed the door and turned her attention back to Jake. "You should have called first. I would have hated if you came by and I wasn't here."

"Let's just said I had a feeling you were home. I wanted to surprise you and I couldn't have done that if I called first," Jake said.

"Well, I do like surprises," Olivia said.

"I figured you did. I brought Chinese. I hope that's okay, Jake said holding up the bag.

"Chinese is great. We can eat in the living room and catch a movie on tv if you want."

"Sounds good to me," Jake said. He took off his jacket and laid it across the back of the sofa. He then removed his shoes and placed them behind the chair.

"You know you can remove your socks too you know," Olivia said sitting down on the floor in front of her sofa. She started removing the food and drinks from the bag.

"Okay, I just didn't know if you would mind if I did."

"It's just socks Jake, not your pants," Olivia said with a smirk

"You have a point," Jake said as he sat down by Olivia.

They spent the next two and a half hours talking, laughing, and eating. They paid a little attention to the action movie they found to watch. Neither one of them seem to mind that they were missing the movie. They were just two people enjoy each other's company.

"That was a good movie," Olivia she said while walking towards the kitchen.

"Yeah, the little bit that we did pay attention to was good," Jake said. "Do you need any help?"

"No, I got it covered, Olivia said from the kitchen. She put away the leftovers in the refrigerator and threw away the trash. She walked back out and saw Jake watching another movie that just started.

"The food was delicious. Thanks for again for bringing it."

"No problem," Jake said as Olivia sat down on the floor next to him. "Thanks for letting me stay. Even though I showed up unannounced," Jake said with a small smile.

"I only let you stay because you brought food. Plus, it's nice to have some company," Olivia said smiling back.

"Guess that means I'm only good enough for free food," Jake said.

"Nope. I'm sure your good enough for other things as well, Olivia said staring Jake in the eyes.

"I am," Jake said. He leaned in and gave her a kiss on the cheek. When his eyes meet hers again he saw a small smile on her face. He wanted to kiss her but didn't want to overstep his boundaries or upset her. That's why he was a little shocked when he felt Olivia's soft lips against his. He then felt Olivia's tongue part his lips.

They broke away from their passionate kiss long enough for Olivia to remove her blouse and for Jake to pull his shirt off. They immediately went back to kissing while repositioning themselves on the floor. Jake leaned his weight forward until Olivia was lying on the floor. They kissed a little bit longer before Jake pulled away. He began to explore her body with light kisses. He started from the right side of her neck, then in between breast, and down to her stomach.

Olivia was enjoying every second of the kisses Jake left against her skin. He was taking his time to tease her body with kisses and it was turning her on. She rubbed her hands through his hair and let out a series of moans that let Jake know that she was enjoying it as much as he was. That's why she was a little disappointed and opened her eyes when she no longer felt Jake's kisses.

"Don't worry. I'm not going to stop with the kisses for too long. Jake said looking up at Olivia with a smile. He unbuttoned her pants and slid them off. He quickly started leaving a trail of kisses from her right ankle, up her calf, then up her thighs. He then did the same with her left leg. Once he was at the top of her thigh he went back to her neck where he licked and kissed it passionately.

"Jake," Olivia said barely above a whisper.

"Yes," Jake said now looking down at her.

She took his face into her hands. "I…I can't," Olivia said with a little disappointment.

Jake dropped his head. That was the last thing he wanted to hear but he wanted didn't want to rush into anything that she wasn't ready for. He also didn't want her to feel like she was being pressured either.

"Hey," Olivia said lifting Jake's head with her hand. I'm really sorry. She gave him a quick kiss on the lips. "I just can't do this right now. I hope you understand."

"It's ok. I understand completely," Jake said with a small smile.

* * *

**A/N: I would love to hear what you think about the last part of this chapter. I want to know if I should include more scenes like this in the future or not. **


	4. Love Will

**Sorry about the wait. I've been extremely busy with school lately. Next update may take the same amount time or a little longer unfortunately. I do appreciate all the views, reviews, follows, and favorites. They always make my day.**

**Anyway, I'm glad that Scandal is back. Although Olitz is ruining me right now. Speaking of Olitz, to answer the question about whether or not this is an Olitz story or Olivia/Jake story the answer is both. It may sound weird but it's true. I also found it weird that no one picked up on the fact that Olivia has a sister in this story. The phone call Jake had with the mystery person will be addressed soon. I'm also thinking about changing Jake's current occupation for certain reasons. He will still have a military background though. Okay, enough rambling. Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 4: Love Will

"_Love can be good, can be bad, can be dangerous  
"It can make you happy, make you sad, be a stranger."– Love Will by Jordin Sparks_

Fitz poured himself a glass of scotch and downed the drink in a matter of seconds. He placed the empty glass on the desk, propped his feet up on his desk and leaned slightly back in the chair. It's been two weeks since his fight with Jake. To him the fight was worth it but in reality it didn't change anything. He and Olivia still weren't speaking to one another. Jake wasn't going to leave Olivia alone. And he still wasn't sleeping much. That's why he turned to drinking. Drinking was his attempt at suppressing unwanted feelings. Not only that, he didn't want to deal with the absence of Olivia. Yes, he still felt hurt and betrayed about the election rigging. Knowing that Olivia was a part of it still bothered him a lot but being without her was really what hurt the most.

But he refused to reach out to her. She was the one in the wrong and he was just an innocent bystander. It was her job to reach out to him and apologize. To give him an explanation that would somehow justified her actions. Fitz knew her actions went against everything she believed in, everything they both believed in. But then he thought about his own actions. Killing Verna, telling Olivia things just to make her hurt just as much as he was, and pretending he no longer wanted her. At the time he wanted revenge but now everything was falling apart. As the President, he had it all together. But as a man who was deeply in love, it felt like he had no control over what was happening.

Fitz stared at the empty glass bottle on his desk trying to figure out what his next move should be. He thought about whether he should grab another bottle of scotch. However, he couldn't deny the fact that he really was thinking if he should call Olivia or not. He dropped his feet to floor and grabbed the glass bottle. He dropped it into the trash can next to his desk and decided that he wasn't drinking anymore. At least for the rest of the day he wasn't going to drink. While reaching for the phone, he paused for a second. He needed to get himself together so he wouldn't say anything stupid on the phone. Having a short temper when he was pissed off or upset was something he always dealt with but he didn't want it to get the best of him. Not this time around. Fitz picked up the phone and was about to ask for a secure line when Cyrus walked in.

"Here is the paperwork you asked for, sir," Cyrus said once he reached Fitz's desk.

"Thanks Cy," Fitz said while hanging up the phone.

Cyrus nodded. "Remember the meeting we have at six Mr. President. Try not to show up late or drunk," Cyrus said.

"How can I possibly show up late or drunk when I have you monitoring my every move Cyrus?" Fitz said.

"Sir, I do that because it's my job. Besides, when you look bad I look bad."

Fitz nodded. "How is she?" The question escaped his lips before he could stop it. He was thinking about it in his mind but didn't have any plans of actually saying it out loud.

Cyrus sighed deeply. "She's doing fine," he said. He was lying but he didn't want to tell Fitz the truth. The truth was he could tell Olivia was barely hanging on sometimes but it's not something they talked about. When he and Olivia talked it was mostly about business. Discussions about her personal life were off limits unless she wanted to share something with him.

Fitz couldn't tell if Cyrus was lying or not based on the fact that he knew Jake and Olivia were getting close. He also didn't expect Cyrus to say anything more than what he did say.

"You know, maybe you should try calling her. To clear the air and fix whatever is going on with you two. I'm personally tired of having an angry, miserable, jealous, and slightly unstable president on my hands. It doesn't suit you well Mr. President. The American people elected a man who was lovable and charming. There's nothing lovable and charming about a drunk, especially a drunk president."

"You do remember that you help me win this presidency by any means necessary, right?" Fitz said leaning back in the chair.

"Well, I did vote for you. I just voted for you in a way that guaranteed that you would have a presidency."

"Yeah," Fitz said with a smirk. "You mean to guarantee that you became Chief of Staff?"

"Both. I knew I would make a great Chief of Staff but I also knew you wanted this presidency. We made a good team on the campaign trial with Olivia. We got you were you needed to be so you could be a top contender for the presidency. You seemed to be a sure winner but the last days leading up to Election Day, the polls were showing different. We couldn't take the risk of you not getting elected because America's indecisiveness. You wanted to give this country hope and real change but they acted like they didn't want that."

"Maybe they didn't," Fitz said thinking back to the few days before election night. He remembered very clearly how he was doing in the polls. The election could've of went either way because the poll numbers were just numbers analysts came up with all the time. There were a few moments where he didn't think he was going to win because of those stupid numbers. But the faith he had in the American people was what he was counting on.

"They did. That's why they welcomed you with open arms. You were the saving grace that they were looking for. They got the president that they were waiting for. So, look at it like this. You got what you wanted and the people of this fine country got what they needed. Everyone is a winner in this situation, sir."

Was everyone really a winner? Fitz thought to himself. He is president, America is satisfied, Cyrus became Chief of Staff, and Mellie is thrilled about being First Lady. Verna got her seat on the bench as a Supreme Court Justice, Hollis got whatever the hell he was looking for, and Olivia? What did Olivia win from all of this?

Fitz and Cyrus talked about the meeting for a few minutes before he left. After Cyrus left, Fitz tried to concentrate on the paperwork that was in front of him. But he was failing miserably at it. The conversation played through his mind. He and Cyrus never talked about the election rigging before this day but he was glad it was out in the open. He still had conflicting feelings about everything and it would still be a while before he forgave Cyrus. As for getting over what happened? He didn't know when he would if he ever did.

Fitz picked up the phone, asked for a secure line, and dialed Olivia's number. He knew it was a chance that she wouldn't answer. Part of him was hoping she didn't pick up but a bigger part of him was praying she would answer.

"Olivia Pope & Associates," Olivia said into the phone.

Fitz opened his mouth but nothing came out.

"Hello?" Olivia said with a little irritation in her voice

"Hi," Fitz finally managed to say. There was a long period of silence before he heard her voice again.

"Hi," Olivia repeated in a whisper like tone.

Fitz thought Olivia was going to hang up once she realized it was him but she didn't. Her not hanging up immediately meant something. Even if it meant nothing to her it meant everything to him. 'I need to talk….I mean we need to talk," Fitz said.

"About what?" Olivia said.

"We need to talk in person," Fitz said. Olivia fell silent again and Fitz was expecting it. He knew he was asking for a lot considering how he treated her that last few times they exchanged words in person. But what they needed to talk about shouldn't be handled over the phone. It needed to happen in person no matter how uncomfortable and hurtful it would be for them.

"Liv, I know I'm asking for a lot. Just please do this for me. If you still love me you will do this for me," Fitz said.

"You don't have a right to play that card with me," Olivia said with a little irritation in her voice again.

"Am I wrong about that?" Fitz questioned. He knew he shouldn't play on her emotions because of how things were between them. But he knew she wanted to talk to him as much as he wanted to talk to her.

"Fine. When do you want to meet?" Olivia said ignoring his question completely.

"We can meet tonight at your apartment. Around eleven or so if that's okay with you?"

"That's fine," Olivia said. She was being short with Fitz but he understood why. There was no need for them to say much over the phone. They would have plenty of time to do that later.

"Okay. See you tonight," Fitz said and hung up the phone.

* * *

Jake closed the door behind him and looked around the living room. He was in Olivia's apartment to remove the cameras he installed a few months ago. He still couldn't believe he agreed to do something like this in the first place but he was doing it for a friend. At this point, Fitz was a former friend. He checked his watch and saw that it was six o'clock. Jake had about two hours left before he would have to be back there to pick Olivia up for dinner. It would take him at least forty minutes to remove everything so he knew he had to work fast. Might as well get to work, he said to himself. He removed a folded up piece of paper from his back pocket. Every place a camera was installed in Olivia's apartment was written down. He walked into Olivia's bedroom and placed his bag on the floor. Jake opened his bag, removed the tools that he needed, and went to uninstall the first camera on the list.


	5. If Only You Knew

**A/N: Apparently I have a thing for time and doors in this story. Anyway, Mellie finally makes an appearance. Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 5: If Only You Knew

_Cause you don't even suspect, could probably care less,  
About the changes I've been going through. – If Only You Knew by Pattie Labelle_

"Thanks again for the night out," Olivia said once they reached the door to her apartment.

"No problem, Jake said with a smile. So will I see you this weekend?'

Olivia nodded. "You know," she said while wrapping her arms around Jake's waist to bring him closer to her. "If you're lucky you might get to see me again before then," Olivia said looking up at Jake with a smile.

"Hmmm, that would be great," Jake said leaning down to kiss Olivia. He intended for it to be a simple kiss on the lips but when it came to Olivia that was impossible. He kissed her long and passionately until he felt himself starting to get excited down below.

"I should really go," he said in a whisper after pulling his lips from Olivia's reluctantly.

"Okay," said with a pretend sad face.

"Don't give me that look. We will definitely pick up where we left off at," Jake said with a smirk. He leaned down again and started kissing on Olivia's neck.

Olivia started to moan lightly as Jake teased her neck playfully with his tongue. But when she felt his hands on her hips pulling her closer to him she snapped back to her senses. "Alright Jake," Olivia said playfully while pushing him back to create some space between them. "I'll see you soon."

"Oh trust me, you will," Jake said with a wink before heading towards the elevator.

Olivia giggled to herself while unlocking the door. After closing the door Olivia realized that she was starting to like Jake, a lot. She always thought Jake was funny and handsome since they first met. But the more they spent time together the more she became attracted to him.

Olivia rolled her eyes when she realized what time it was. She had a little less than an hour left before Fitz would be knocking on her door. She grabbed a change of clothes out of her dresser and headed for the bathroom. She took a quick shower then threw on a pair of sweatpants and a tank top. After putting her hair in a pony tail, she did a last look over in the full length mirror in her bedroom. Olivia went to the kitchen to and poured herself a glass of wine. She need to something to calm her nerves. Why am I so nervous? It's just Fitz, Olivia said to herself. But she knew why she was nervous. It was Fitz after all. He still knew how to get under her skin in all the wrong and right ways. That was a good them for him but not a good thing for her.

There was a knock at the door and Olivia knew it was time. She took a deep breath, opened the door and came face to face with Fitz. She immediately felt knots in her stomach. Every emotion that she could possibly feel with and felt for Fitz was starting to overwhelm her. That's when she knew that tonight was not going to be an easy one.

* * *

**_Thirty Minutes Ago_**

"Where are you going?" Mellie asked

"Out," Fitz said simply. He put on his suit jacket and straightened out his tie.

I'm well aware that you are going out. But that doesn't tell me where _exactly_ you are going," Mellie said.

"I'm going out to handle some business. I will be back soon," Fitz said walking around his desk to be face to face Mellie.

"Fitz it's almost eleven o'clock at night and you're the President of the United States. The president doesn't run errands. You have people that do that for you. As your wife, don't you think I should know where you are going?"

No, Fitz wanted to say. But that last thing he wanted to do was get into an argument with Mellie before going to Olivia's. "Look, I'll be back before you know it."

Mellie knew that Fitz wasn't going to say anything more so she left it at that.

"Okay," Mellie said.

"Good. Don't wait up for me," Fitz said before giving Mellie a quick kiss on the check. Mellie opened her mouth to say something but before she could say anything Fitz was already gone.

Great, Mellie said underneath her breath. She knew Fitz was going to see Olivia. Ever since the day of the christening she knew that something happened between them. She didn't realize that Olivia left out of the room until she caught a glimpse of Fitz walking out in a hurry. She also knew something happened because Fitz slept like a baby that particular night.

Frustration was getting the best of her again and she hated it. At that moment, she wanted to call Jake. She wanted to ask him what the hell he was doing spending all of his time with Olivia but not keeping her away from Fitz. Mellie knew that Jake didn't know what was going on so calling him would be pointless. She was just hoping that nothing serious would happen between Fitz and Olivia that night.

* * *

Fitz was sitting on one side of the couch while Olivia sat on the opposite side. It's going on ten minutes and they still haven't spoken a word to each other.

"One minute?" Fitz asked, finally breaking the silence. Olivia seemed to be in deep thought until she looked over at Fitz and nodded.

Olivia moved over to where Fitz sat. He wrapped his arms around her while she curled up next to him. Olivia laid her head on Fitz's chest and closed her eyes. As she listened to sound of his heart beating a sense peace came over her. Fitz, with his eyes closed, took in the scent of Olivia's hair. He started to relax, feeling like he was at home again. They both were unaware that their "one minute" was chipping away at the walls they built up towards each other.

When their time was up, Olivia reluctantly pulled away from Fitz and quickly wiped a tear away. Fitz got up and walked over to the window to get a view of the city. He did that to distract himself from giving into the urge of wanting to carry Olivia to her bedroom and make love to her. They were finally having a break through, a very small one, but he didn't want to screw it up.

"What do we need to talk about?" Olivia asked not wanting to fall into another long period of silence.

"Everything," Fitz said.

"Okay," said sighing deeply.

"Are you dating Jake?" Fitz said.

"No."

"Did you have sex with him?" Fitz asked still looking out of the window.

"No. Have you been having me followed?" Olivia questioned. "Because I find it amazing that you are asking me about whom I have been spending time with. Considering that I don't remember ever informing you that there was someone in my life now."

"I have and I have been for months. I'm not proud of it but I did," Fitz said honestly.

A part of her wasn't surprise that he was having her followed. She knew how he could get when it came to her. What surprised her was that he still wanted to know what she was doing and who she was doing it with in spite of how things were between them.

"Fitz if we are going to try and have a decent conversation, I need you to look at me," Olivia said. The last thing she wanted to do was have a conversation with his back facing her.

He stared out the window for a few more seconds before turning around to look at her. He looked at her while he mentally prepared himself for what was next. Fitz knew he was about to open a Pandora's Box but it was necessary. "I need to know about Defiance."

* * *

**A/N: Let me know what you think!**


	6. Sorry

Chapter 6: Sorry

Olivia didn't say anything. As much as she didn't want to talk about Defiance she knew it was important to talk about it. She also wanted to put it behind her so she could move on from it just as much Fitz wanted to.

Fitz sat back down on the couch and turned slightly to face Olivia. "I've been trying to process this whole Defiance thing since I found out about it. The more I go over it in my mind it just doesn't make sense," he said.

"You mean my involvement in it doesn't make sense," Olivia said interrupting Fitz.

"That and among others things. Look, I'm not sure exactly where to start at with this. I would have preferred that something like this never happened but it did."

"And you don't think I feel the same way you do about that?" Olivia said.

"Honestly, I don't know what to think anymore about the people I thought I could trust." Fitz knew that his comment was hurtful but he had to tell her how he really felt.

"Let's get something straight Fitz. You know you can trust me. Trusting me is something you have done since day one and that will never change. Just because I made a mistake, one mistake, your trust in me should not have stopped," Olivia said. She was trying her best not to get upset but it was hard not to be.

"One mistake? One mistake? Fitz repeated raising his voice slightly. "Olivia, you helped rigged an election. My presidency is based on a lie and a false accomplishment. I thought I won this presidency the right way. But what I found out is that those close to me used me to get what they wanted. So the way I look at it, no I can't trust you. I trusted you and it backfired. It backfired in a way that made me look like a fucking idiot in the end."

"Fitz do you even know why I did it? Why I would do something so stupid and unbelievable? It was because of you. I didn't have to do it. No one made me do. Did Cyrus do his best to convince me? Of course he did but ultimately it was my decision. I knew you _wanted_ this presidency but you _needed_ it more than anything. I watched how you and your father interacted with one another on the campaign trail. Jerry wanted you to use any and everything against you opponent to make them look bad. But you wanting to run a clean campaign only added to the list of disappointments Jerry saw in you. Then I had to watch you get drunk because of the decisions your father made in the past still affected you. His presence alone was enough to piss you off. I comforted you after your father's funeral because I could feel the hurt and pain you felt. You were mourning the death of a relationship that you never had with your father. This presidency was going to be your way of finally proving to your father and to yourself that you were more than what he said you were."

"Everyone used your election for their own personal agenda except for me Fitz. They got what they wanted while I lost everything. I lost you." Olivia was on the verge of crying but she paused to get herself together. The last thing she wanted to do was cry in front of Fitz. "I risked everything to show you how much I loved you. To show how important your happiness was to me. But did you appreciate that, no. Instead you looked at the situation only from your view. You didn't once think about how much hurt and pain that I have dealt with just to make you happy. To give you an opportunity to become who you were meant to be. Now, I don't even think it was worth it."

"But why did you feel like you needed to give me the opportunity to be president like this? Being the campaign fixer was enough. I thought you had confidence in me that I would become president? You doing this make me feel like you never thought I was good enough to win on my own. I remember how things weren't looking good for me but that's beside the point. We ran a great campaign. If I had won then I would have been happy but if I lost I was going to be okay too. Now, I will never know if I would have won this presidency the right way. I don't even feel like I deserve this job at times," Fitz said honestly.

"Never think that you don't deserve this job, Fitz. I always believed that you could have won on your own. I just felt like I had no other option. I don't know what else to say for to you understand why I did this." Olivia paused again and took a deep breath. "I'm sorry, Fitz. I'm so sorry," Olivia finally said. She no longer had the strength in her to fight with Fitz. "I don't know how many times you want me to say it. I screwed up, ok? I should have never done it." Olivia said as a few tears fell down her cheeks.

In the moment Fitz finally realized how much all of this was hurting Olivia. He couldn't understand why it took him this long to figure it out. He was supposed to know Olivia well enough that she wouldn't compromise herself without good reason. But he also knew that it was his stubbornness and anger that got them to this point.

Fitz got on his knees in front of Olivia. He placed his hand on her face and wiped away a few tears. After taking Olivia's hands into his, he finally told what she deserved to hear. "I'm sorry too, Olivia. I'm sorry for everything I said and for making you feel like shit since I found out about Defiance. I should have reached out to you sooner to get an understanding of everything but I didn't. Instead I allowed the pain and hurt I felt get in the way of that." Fitz said.

"Making me feel like shit is an understatement," Olivia said.

"I only said and did those things because I wanted you to hurt as much as I was" Fitz whispered. He dropped his head in shame, took a deep breath, and locked eyes with her again.

She didn't know how to respond to his statement so just kept her eyes locked on Fitz's one. Olivia was no longer crying but still felt the pain of wanting to.

Fitz was unable to say anything more himself. As much as he hated the silence between them he was just thankful that they were not arguing. After sitting in silence long enough, Fitz finally stood up to leave. He knew that he no longer needed to be there. He wasn't sure where this left them at with their relationship but to him it was a start to fixing things.

Olivia held out her hand for Fitz to help her to her feet. She fought the urge to pull his face to hers to kiss him. Instead she told him good night and he said the same in return. He kissed her on the forehead, looked her over one last time, and left.

Olivia dropped back down onto the couch as the tears began to fall again. She was relieved that she and Fitz finally had the conversation about Defiance. Yet, she was still confused about everything else. As much as she loved Fitz and was still in love with him, she was getting tired of the emotional roller coaster they stayed on. She wanted some type of normalcy in a relationship for once. A relationship that was exciting but normal.

Olivia grabbed her cell phone off of the night stand in her bedroom. She found Jake's number and hit the talk button. Jake answered just as she finished wiping the remaining tears away.

"Hey, I'm sorry to be calling so late," Olivia said.

"It's okay. I wasn't sleeping yet. What's wrong? It sounds like you have been crying, Jake said with concern in his voice.

"I'm alright. I just don't want to be alone right now. Can you come over? Olivia asked.

Yeah. I'll be there soon, Jake said before hanging up.

* * *

"I'm glad that I'm able to see you before this weekend. I just wish it was under better circumstances," Jake said once he was inside Olivia's apartment.

"Yeah, me too," Olivia said.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Jake asked.

"I really don't want to. I hope you can understand that."

"That's understandable. He really wanted to know what made her upset but he wasn't going to put the issue. "So, you just want me to help you forget about whatever got you upset?" Jake asked.

"That'll be nice if you could," Olivia said with a small smile.

"Well I can think of a lot of things I could do but I'm going to be a good boy tonight. I will stay on my best behavior as long as you want me to. Now, I say we go to your room, watch a little TV, and cuddle until we fall asleep."

"When were men ever content with just cuddling?" Olivia said with a small laugh.

"When they find someone they really like," Jake said looking into Olivia's eyes.

"Excellent answer Mr. Ballard. Come on lets go," Olivia said grabbing his hand and leading him to her bedroom. "I've had a long day and need some sleep."

"Yes, ma'am," Jake said playfully.

Olivia climbed into bed while Jake took off his socks and shoes. He then took his sweater off, revealing a white t-shirt underneath. He climbed into bed next to Olivia while she flipped through the channels on the TV. After finding an old black and white TV show to watch, Olivia placed the remote on the night stand and curled up next to Jake. Jake wrapped his right arm around Olivia as she placed her head on his chest.

"Are you comfortable?" Jake asked looking down at her.

"Very. Thank you," Olivia said looking up at him while wrapping her arm around his mid section.

"Good," Jake said before leaning down to kiss her on the forehead. He let his head fall back onto the pillow as he turned his attention to the TV.

With Jake's opposite hand rubbing her side, it didn't take long for Olivia to fall asleep. Jake stayed up a little longer to enjoy her being in his arms. He was still fine with taking things slow with her because he didn't want her to regret getting involved with him too soon. But he knew that he needed to talk to Mellie so he could put a stop to everything.

"I really hope we can have more days like this, Olivia," Jake whispered. He knew she was sleeping but he wanted to tell her anyway. As if she heard him, Olivia stirred a little in her sleep and Jake shifted slightly to his side to have her closer to him. After kissing her on the top of her head, he drifted off to sleep.

* * *

**A/N: This chapter took a lot out of me but I hoped you enjoyed it. Should be able to update more frequently soon (maybe). Any suggestions/ideas about why Jake is to working with Mellie? I have an idea but no sure if I want to use it. Let me know what you think. **


	7. Caution

**A/N: Wanted to update sooner but couldn't. So I sacrificed some sleep and study time to get this done. Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 7: Caution

Jake woke up and saw that he was still holding Olivia. He smiled to himself before closing his eyes trying to go back to sleep. But as soon as he closed his eyes, his phone vibrated on the night stand. He opened his eyes quickly and picked up the phone before the phone could wake Olivia up. He wasn't sure if Olivia was a light sleeper or not so he didn't want to take any chances. He saw that it was Mellie calling and immediately thought about ignoring the call. However, he knew that Mellie was persistent and if he didn't answer she would just keep calling until he answered. Jake pulled his body from Olivia's as quickly and carefully as possible without disturbing her. He was half way out of the bed when Olivia turned onto her other side without waking up. He was relieved once he realized that Olivia was still asleep and he was safely out of the bed. By the time he reached Olivia's bathroom, his phone was no longer ringing. But before he could call Mellie back his phone started to vibrate again.

"Hello," Jake said in a low voice. He closed the bathroom door but left a crack in the door so he could still see Olivia.

"Hey there Jake. How are you?"

"I'm great. I'm at Olivia's right now," Jake said.

"That's good. Although, I must say I'm a little surprised but happy considering what happened last night."

"What happened?" Jake asked.

"Fitz went over there last night to see Olivia. I know things couldn't have gone well between them. Fitz didn't say much when he came home last night. He also came back before I went to sleep."

"How do you know this is where he was last night? He could have been anywhere last night," Jake said hoping Mellie was being delusional about last night's events.

"Because I know my husband Jake," Mellie said. "We've been married for almost seventeen years, so clearly I know a thing or two about Fitz. I know how he behaves when Olivia is around and when their relationship is at a good place or not."

Jake looked through the crack of the bathroom door at Olivia who was still sleeping. He thought back to the night before when Olivia called him on the phone. There was no doubt she was crying but he knew she wouldn't admit it. Olivia was a private person and he would have been shocked if she told him what got her upset. But now that Mellie had informed him on what happened before Olivia called him, it all made sense to him. He hated the fact that Fitz still had had an effect on Olivia like that. Which meant Olivia still had strong feelings for Fitz.

"So, why did you call?" Jake asked trying to get the thought of Fitz and Olivia being together out of his head.

"I just called to let you know what happened last night. I also wanted to know how everything was going between you and Olivia."

"We're fine. I think we need to meet to discuss a few things," Jake said changing to topic of conversation again.

"A few things like what? Anything we need to talk about can be handled over the phone. Unless I feel like we need to meet in person," Mellie said sternly.

"Mellie, it would be wise to agree to meet with me unless you want me to ruin your perfect little marriage."

"I wouldn't be making threats if I was you Jake. Or, have you forgotten the details of our agreement? But since I like you and you are doing a good job with keeping Olivia away from Fitz, I will agree to what you want. I'm flying out to California on Thursday night for the weekend. We can meet then."

Jake really didn't want to fly out to California but he knew it was necessary. He just wanted to be free to be with Olivia without any stipulations. There was also other things that needed to be addressed.

" Fine, I will fly out there on Friday after work," Jake said and hung up before Mellie could say anything else.

Jake carefully got back into the bed and wrapped his arm around Olivia's waist from behind.

"Where did you sneak off to? I was starting to get a little lonely here," Olivia said. Her eyes were still close but she had a smile on her face.

"I had a phone call that I had to take. So I left out the room because I didn't want to wake you," But it looks I didn't do a good job with that," Jake said wrapping his arm a little tighter around Olivia.

"It's okay. I just woke up when I felt you getting back in bed," Olivia said.

"Good. I do have a little problem though," Jake said.

Olivia opened her eyes, turned over, and looked up at Jake. "What's wrong?"

"I hate to cancel our plans for this weekend but I have to go out of town for work."

"That's not a problem," Olivia said. "When are you leaving to go?"

"Friday evening. Everything I need to do will be done on Saturday and I'll head back here on Sunday evening."

"Okay," Olivia said.

"What time is it, Jake?" Olivia asked after they laid there for a few minutes in silence.

"It's a little after 10," Jake said.

"Crap! I need to get ready for work," Olivia said turning over and getting out of the bed.

"There's no need to rush Olivia. Aren't you your own boss?" Jake asked while getting out of the bed himself.

"Yeah, I am. But I have a business to run. I have four new clients stopping by today. I need to get there as soon as possible," Olivia said while trying to choose something wear from her closet.

"You can always play hooky from work," Jake said while putting on socks and shoes.

"Not today. Maybe in a few weeks," Olivia said. She decided on an outfit to wear and laid it across the bed.

"Well I'm headed home to take a shower, change, and head to work myself," Jake said. He pulled his sweater back on and walked over to Olivia. She seemed to be in her own little world as she moved quickly to get everything together to take a shower and to get ready for work.

"Did you hear me Olivia?" Jake asked.

"Yes, you said you were leaving to get ready for work. I'm sorry. I just have a lot to do today. Getting a late start throws everything off for me"

"Well, I understand. Just promise me when you play hooky from work you'll let me know so I can do the same. Maybe we can take a little trip out of town or something," Jake said smiling down at Olivia.

"You know, that sounds like a great plan," Olivia said and she gave him a quick kiss on the lips.

* * *

Olivia was thankful that the work day passed by fast. She had a hard time focusing on work and she wanted to do nothing more than to relax at the moment. She thought about how she enjoyed having Jake stay the night. Olivia wanted more nights to end that way. However, she would be lying to herself if she didn't admit that Fitz was still on her mind.

Olivia turned off her laptop before placing it into her bag. She was placing some paperwork in the same bag when she heard a knock on the door. She looked up and saw that it was Huck.

"Hey, you can come in," Olivia said. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah," Huck said. He paused before speaking again. "I noticed that you've been spending a lot of time with Jake lately. I was wondering if you wanted me to do a background check on him."

Olivia looked at Huck quietly. She wasn't expecting him to ask her but then again it was Huck. His top priority was to make sure she was taking care of and that nothing didn't happen to her. She really didn't think about getting a background check done on Jake because of job he had. Her gut also didn't tell her that there was anything that she should worry about with him.

"Well, with him being an Intelligence Officer in the Navy I didn't think I needed to do a background check on him. Plus, working in the Pentagon you pretty much have to have a spotless record," Olivia said.

Huck nodded. He briefly looked at the floor then back at Olivia.

"What does your gut tell you about him?" Huck asked.

"My gut isn't telling me anything bad about him. Honestly, my gut is at a neutral feeling which is a good thing."

Huck nodded again but Olivia knew he wanted to say something else.

"Huck, is there anything I should worry about? Did you already do a background check on him?" Olivia asked starting to feel a little nervous.

"No and I haven't. I just found it a little weird that you didn't want me to find out everything about this guy. I guess I just don't want to see anything happen to you. Especially, after everything you went through with your ex."

Huck didn't say Fitz's name but they both knew who he was talking about. Huck was one of the few people Olivia told about her relationship with Fitz. She trusted and relied on Huck more than she did with most people. It was the same exact way with Huck when it came to Olivia.

Olivia walked from behind her desk to stand in front of Huck.

"Huck, I appreciate that but for now I just want to get know Jake the normal way. It's a difference between learning about someone for a personal interest and learning about someone just to represent them. I don't want you to worry about anything right now. I'm still being cautious about certain things when it comes to Jake. I'm being cautious to protect myself and not to rush into anything. But if something comes up or I change my mind, I'll let you know," Olivia said.

"Okay," Huck said.

"You should go home and get some rest Huck," Olivia said while walking back to her desk.

"I think I'm going to hang out here for a little while longer."

"That's fine too," Olivia said. She finished pack her bag and put her jacket on. "I'll see you tomorrow then."

Huck nodded and disappeared back into his office.

Olivia placed her purse on her shoulder and grabbed her bag. She checked one more time to make sure she wasn't leaving anything. After determining she had everything she turned off the lights in her office. She said good night to Abby, Quinn, and Harrison then headed home.

* * *

**A/N: Thank you so much for favorites and follows. Special thanks for the reviews. **


	8. Secrets

Chapter 8: Secrets

Fitz tapped the pen on his bottom lip as he looked over the paper work he was holding. It was an uneventful week at the White House. The week was filled with the usual meetings, phone calls, visitors and the constant bickering in Congress that seem to be the normal at the moment. However, Fitz was happy to have Cyrus around because he seemed to be on auto pilot ever since his talk with Olivia. A weight had been lifted off of his shoulder when he and Olivia finally apologized to one another. But at the same time a part of him was still angry. To be that close yet so far away from Olivia was tortured. He felt like there was still so much left to say that went beyond Defiance. He hated that he still had to come home to Mellie when he wanted to be with Olivia. He was pissed that Olivia was still taking great interest in Jake at all. He knew that Olivia genuinely liked Jake because she was letting him get close to her. The thought of Jake getting closer to Olivia was starting to make his skin crawl. Fitz thought about telling Olivia what he had Jake do for him but he knew it wouldn't fix things. In fact, it would only make things worse. Olivia would really push him away and he probably would lose her for good.

"Are you having a good day honey?" Mellie asked, coming into Fitz's office.

"Yes," Fitz said, not bothering to look up from his paper work.

"Good. Fitz, I think it's time that we bring the children home," Mellie said.

"Really?" Fitz asked.

"Yes. You don't want them here or something?"

"Mellie, you know that's not true," Fitz said finally putting down the paper work. He leaned back in his chair and looked at Mellie. "You know I always wanted the children to be here but I allowed you to ship them off to boarding school because that's what you wanted. So I'm a little surprised with your change of heart all of a sudden."

"Well, I just think they should be here. They deserve to be here. Gerry and Karen are growing up so fast. They should have more time to spend with Teddy. Before we know it, they will be graduating from high school and going off to college. They should also have more time to spend with us. You've settled into your presidency now. We have more time to spend with them unlike during the campaign. And I know you've been having a rough time dealing with everything lately. Maybe, you need the children around permanently. Not just on the holidays, summer, and winter breaks."

"Wow, Mellie. You almost sound like concerned mother. If I didn't know you, I would say that you are," Fitz said with a smirk.

"Fitz, you can say and think whatever you want. I love those kids just as much as you do. I may have a funny way of showing it at times but I do," Mellie said sounding a little hurt.

"I don't doubt that you love them. It's just I think that you tolerate them more than anything else."

"If you're going to be an ass about this then forget it. I guess you are too worried about who Olivia is screwing than doing what is best for this family." Mellie said angrily.

"You don't ever get tired of that?" Fitz questioned

"Get tired of what?" Mellie asked

"Being a bitch," Fitz said.

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me. Okay, maybe that was a little harsh. I'll say it in a nicer way. Don't you ever get tired of trying to belittle Olivia? In reality, she hasn't done anything to you. It's not like she destroyed this marriage. It's been a dead marriage for years. Hell, I don't even think it's ever been a real marriage from the beginning. The way I see it is that Olivia has given you a lot. She made America fall in love with us as a couple. She agreeing to Defiance allowed you to become First Lady. She even got me to stay with you after the Amanda Turner incident and to have another child."

"If you think I'm being a bitch then so be it, Fitz. I've stuck by you through it all including this drunk fest you've been having for a year now. I'm tired of you treating me like everything except as a wife. As for Olivia, she has done something to me. She was supposed to get you elected and to be the Communication Director. But it looks like having unlimited access to screw my husband became her full time job," Mellie said. She took a deep breath and paused. "Looks like I don't have to worry about that anymore though, Mellie said with a sinister smile.

Fitz opened his mouth to put Mellie in her place but the nurse came in with Teddy.

"Sorry to interrupt sir, but Teddy has been a little fussier than usual today," the nurse said

Fitz got up and walked to where the nurse stood. "It's okay. I can take him for a little while." Fitz took Teddy from the nurse and told the nurse thank you.

"Hey, little guy? Sounds like you're having a rough day. Let's go play with some of your toys and see if that helps," Fitz said to Teddy. He placed Teddy on the floor and went to grab his small toy chest he had in the corner of his office. Fitz got down on the floor and stretched out on the floor in front of Teddy, propping himself up on his elbow. He pulled the toys out one by one while engaging in small talk with Teddy again.

"So, are you fine with the kids moving back home?" Mellie asked as she watched Fitz.

"We can talk about it more over dinner tonight," Fitz said not looking up at Mellie.

"Dinner?" Mellie asked.

"Yes, dinner. You said I don't treat you like a wife anymore. Besides you are leaving for California tomorrow so the least we can do is have dinner tonight, Fitz said finally looking at Mellie.

Mellie was a little surprised by his offer but she knew he was only acting that way because Teddy was there.

"Sounds great," Mellie said slowly with a fake smile on her face.

"Good, Fitz said before turning his attention back to Teddy.

Mellie left without them saying anything else to each other. Fitz only suggested dinner to keep the peace in front of Teddy. He was glad that the nurse interrupted when she did because his conversation with Mellie was only going to get worst. He thought about Mellie's suggestion as he watched Teddy play with one of his toy trucks. Mellie did love their children but not to the capacity that most mothers do. So, her suggesting that Gerry and Karen should move back home wasn't a coincidence. She was using them to get closer to him again. He knew that her plan wasn't going to work but he was just going to ignore it. Having his kids around like they should be is what he was going to focus on. It would give him some happiness in his life again and he needed that more than anything.

* * *

Jake walked around the large living room looking at several pictures on the wall as he waited for Mellie. He was at the house that Fitz and Mellie owned out in California. He remembered visiting them on numerous occasions for lavish dinners, several charity events, and during the time when Fitz ran for governor. Once Jake got the job at the Pentagon and Fitz became governor, they became too busy to really keep in touch. Then it changed when Fitz contacted him five months ago. He was supposed to watch Olivia and nothing else. He quickly noticed that she was a very beautiful and successful woman but he had no desire to meet her personally. Mainly because he thought he would cross a line if he did. But when Mellie approach him one day with some information about his past, he felt like he didn't have a choice. Since that day, he never regretted meeting Olivia. He just regretted that he initially pursued her for the wrong reasons.

"Jake, it's good to see you again. Sorry I couldn't get here any sooner. The event took longer than I thought it would," Mellie said walking into the living room.

"Its fine," Jake said turning his attention to Mellie. "I just got here not too long ago myself."

"Would you like to join me for dinner? I had you to come all the way out here to California so the least I could do is feed you," Mellie said with a smile.

"Sure," Jake said.

Jake followed Mellie out of the living room into the dining room. Mellie took a seat first at the table then Jake took a seat across from her. The chef came out a few minutes later carrying two plates.

"Looks great as usual John, thank you," Mellie said as he placed the plate down in front of her.

"You're welcome, Mrs. Grant."

"Good to see you again, Mr. Ballard."

"Likewise John," Jake said after he received his plate.

They told John what to they wanted to drink and he left to get it. After he returned with wine and beer, they were left alone. They made small talk while they ate. Jake didn't mind it considering he actually like Mellie because he knew her for a long time. He just found her to be annoying when she tried to control and manipulate people.

"What exactly is it that you want Jake?" Mellie asked after they finished eating.

"I'm not going to do this anymore," Jake said

"You don't want to see her anymore?"

"I still want to see her. I'm just not your puppet anymore just because you have some less than desirable information about me."

"You wanted to meet just to tell me that?"

"Now Mellie, you know I'm not the type to waste my time like that. I want you to hand over all of the information you have on me. I've held up my part of the deal now it's your turn."

Mellie drank the last bit of wine that was in her glass, stood up, and motioned for Jake to follow her without saying anything. She led him down the hall to Fitz's study and closed the door once they were inside.

"Jake, I have no problem with that. I know Olivia likes you because she's been spending a lot of time with you. She is choosing you over Fitz and that's what I wanted. As for that information, I can't give it to you."

"What?"

"I can't give it to you. I need something to keep you from running your mouth to Fitz about what I had you to do. Secrets has a way of coming out and this is my way of making sure that it doesn't happen."

"I think having me keep Olivia from Fitz is minor compared the other secrets you've been hiding from your husband Mellie."

"I don't know what you are talking about Jake."

"That's hard for me to believe considering you will do anything to hold on to Fitz. Let me ask you Mellie. Does your husband know that you've been a having a little fun yourself lately? Don't get me wrong, I'm sure he really doesn't care about that because it's Olivia that he loves and not you. I just don't think he will be happy to know that Teddy may or may not be his," Jake said calmly.

It didn't take long for Mellie's face to show a state of shock, but it was only brief. She quickly recovered and spoke before Jake could accuse her of anything else.

"You don't know anything Jake. I have no problem admitting that I had my share of fun a few times. But to say Teddy is not Fitz's son is ridiculous.

"Are you sure about that?"

"Yes! Fitz is his father," Mellie said with anger.

"Well, for your sake I hope he is. I mean that may be Fitz's son, and I'm sure that he is, but I can make your life miserable. All I have to do is to tell Fitz what I know and what I suspect."

"He won't believe you. Last time I check he fought you over Olivia. You are the last person he would believe," Mellie said, challenging him.

"You know, you have a good point. But if I go to him about any information about his kids he will want to know. It won't take much to convince him to do a DNA test and that would cause him to hate you even more. Or, I can just magically have the details of your fling released to the press and let them make the connections. Fitz would really hate you at that point. I'm sure he would divorce you too. Presidents hate public embarrassment."

"Alright! You can have the damn information!" Mellie said giving into Jake's demands.

"Good. I knew you would eventually see it from my point of view," Jake said with a smirk.

* * *

"Ms. Pope, Mr. Ballard here wants to know if you can spare a moment of your time to talk to him."

"I have no problem with talking to him right now. As long as he would stop referring to himself in third person," Olivia said. "You can be so silly at times."

"But I thought that you like that I'm silly. I think it makes me a little more charming and irresistible when I show my playful side," Jake said with a smile.

"That is true," Olivia said with a little laugh. "How was your flight by the way?"

"I had a good flight. I got here earlier than I was scheduled to."

"It's always nice to have that happen," Olivia said.

"You're right. Did you have a good day?" Jake asked.

"Yes I did. I didn't have too much craziness to deal with today."

"Good, I'm glad to hear that. Do you have any plans for tomorrow?"

"The only plans I have is to do some laundry and relax. Well, I'm going to try to relax at least," Olivia said.

"You should try to do that. You deserve it. But, I'm going to let you go so you can get some rest. Have a good night Olivia."

"Have a good night too, Jake."

* * *

**A/N: Sorry for the wait. As a treat, I have one thing to say about the next chapter: Olitz. **


	9. Old Habits

Chapter 9: Old Habits

Olivia was sleeping peacefully until she heard her alarm go off. I thought I turned this thing off Olivia thought. She groaned slightly and shifted around in the bed so she can reach the clock. After turning the alarm off she tried to get comfortable again to fall back to sleep. It was finally Saturday and all she wanted to do was sleep. There were a few things she needed to do around the apartment but it would have to wait. Sleeping in was more important at the moment. It didn't take long before Olivia fell back to sleep but it didn't last long because now it was her phone that was going off. She laid there ignoring the ringing phone in hopes that the person would hang up. As soon as the phone stopped ringing it started again and she grabbed her phone with irritation.

"I really hope this is important for you to be calling me this early."

"Now, that is no way to be answering your phone. What happened if this was your mother calling you?" Fitz asked with a smile.

It didn't take long before Olivia felt embarrassed. She normal didn't answer her phone that way and she was glad that it wasn't someone else. Her biggest concern at the moment was trying to figure out why Fitz was calling her.

"I'm really sorry about that. But may I ask why the President of the United States is calling me so early?"

"You could of least call me President Grant. But I'm calling because I need your help with something," Fitz said

"I'm honored but you do know you have a staff on call that helps you with everything," Olivia said.

"You were always stubborn, you know that?"

"I've been told that my whole life. So it doesn't come as a shock right now."

"You're very cranky right now. What's wrong?" Fitz asked.

"I'm just tired. When I'm tired I get like this sometimes."

"Of course, how can I forget? There were many times I've woken you up and you were like this. You're not a very nice person when you don't get enough sleep."

"Hey, if I can remember correctly you're not a nice person either when you don't have enough sleep. So I get a free pass this time," Olivia said making Fitz laugh.

"You're right. Just pretend I didn't say anything about your behavior."

"No problem," Olivia said with a smile. "What did you need help with?"

"Well, you know that the State of the Union is coming up. I was wondering if you-"

"Could help you with your speech," Olivia said finishing his thought.

"Yes," Fitz said.

Olivia was silent because she didn't know what to say. They just apologize to one another not too long and he was already asking for help. They weren't enemies but they were far from being friends at this point.

Liv?

"Fitz, I don't think it would be a good idea if I did," Olivia said.

"I understand but I just really wanted your help with this speech. I also wanted another chance to talk to you again. I promise not to say anything inappropriate. If you want me to I can do all the talking and you can just listen. You can always leave whenever you want to."

"What about Mellie?"

"She's not here."

Of course she's not. That's the only reason you would even think about asking me to come there, Olivia thought to herself.

"Okay, I'll do it. But I will only come there for two hours. If the speech is not done by then you're on your own."

"I can live with that," Fitz said.

"Good. Now can you please let me go back to sleep so I won't be in a bad mood later?"

"Yes, you can go back to sleep princess."

"Very funny Fitzgerald. I'll see you later," Olivia said

"I'll be looking forward to it."

Olivia pulled into the parking lot and turned her car off. She sat there trying to figure out why she was there. Why she would agree to help with this speech after everything that has happen in the past year. She should be keeping her distance from Fitz but instead she found herself walking towards the security gate. Then she found herself mentally hoping she looked okay and everything was in place as she walked down the hall that led to the Oval Office.

"You can go in and wait for him, Ms. Pope. He will be back shortly," Fitz secretary said.

"Okay. Thank you."

Olivia slowly opened the door to Fitz's office and closed it softly behind her. She took her cell phone out of her purse once she sat down on the sofa. After checking a few messages she placed her phone back into her purse and tried to relax a little more as she waited for Fitz. Her mind started to wandered as she looked around the office. Memories of some of the things that happened between her and Fitz started to come back to her. Unfortunately for her they were memories of their sexual encounters. She closed her eyes in attempt to get those thoughts out her mind but it wasn't working.

"I hope you are not sleeping when we have work to do Liv," Fitz said looking at Olivia.

Olivia was so distracted with what was going on in her head that she didn't hear Fitz come in. She opened her eyes and smiled shyly at Fitz.

"Sorry but I promise I wasn't sleeping."

Fitz just nodded and walked over to where she was sitting. "I can hang that up if you want me to?"

"Thanks," Olivia said as she took off her coat. She was so distracted with everything that she didn't realize she was still wearing it.

"Now, let's get some work done,' Fitz said after grabbing what he needed off his desk. "Especially since someone said I only have two hours to get this done." He smiled down at her before taking a seat next to her and the only thing Olivia could do was smile back at him.

They worked on the speech for the next hour or so and it felt like old times again for the both of them. They easily fell into the routine of Olivia giving him suggestions on how to better communicate his ideas on some of the key issues that he wanted to discuss in his speech. Like he did many times before, Fitz listened intently to everything she said and made changes in his speech when it was necessary. After they finished writing the speech, Fitz read it out loud to Olivia a few times and they both were satisfied once he was finished.

"Well Olivia, it looks like you have done it again. You have managed to help write an award winning speech and I feel honored that I will be able to share it with the American people soon," Fitz said with a smile. "Although I went over my allowed time by 30 minutes," he said after checking his watch.

"Just be thankful I'm not charging you," Olivia said making Fitz laugh.

"Agreed. Can I ask you something Liv?"

"Go for it."

"Would you do it again if you had a chance to? I know you said that you should have never done it but I'm wondering if you would have done things differently if given the chance," Fitz said looking into Olivia eyes.

Olivia took a deep breath before she answered him. "You know, I really don't know. Seeing you live out you dream is amazing. But it also a reminder of a bad decision I made. My job is to be a fixer and I felt like everyone was depending on me to fix it. I also wanted to make you happy so I agreed to it. I accomplished my goal to make you happy but it ended up causing you so much pain."

"Liv," Fitz said taking Olivia hand's into his. "I'm sorry that you were put into that position. Not only did you go against what you believed in for me but you sacrificed your happiness as well. All of this caused me pain but I can't even begin to imagine the pain you experienced. Then the way I treated you didn't help. It just made things worse."

Olivia looked down at their hands and then looked into Fitz eyes again. She could see the sincerity in his eyes that could only true sympathy. "It's okay. Now that I think about it, I would have said no to the election rigging. The consequences we both had to deal with was not worth. I promise I won't make a decision like that ever again."

"And I promise not to make you feel worthless again," Fitz said with a small smile. He was relieved that they had a better understanding of things. Olivia gave him a small smile in return.

"I'll be right back," Fitz said before getting up and disappearing.

Olivia began to wonder where Fitz had to go to in such of hurry but she couldn't think of anything. Then Teddy came to her mind. With everything that happened she never met him in person but saw pictures of him on TV. She wasn't sure if she wanted to meet him yet, especially since she thought she would never lay eyes on him in the first place.

"Olivia, I have someone here that I want you to meet. I've wanted you to meet him for the longest but certain things didn't allow that to happen," Fitz said walking back into his office.

Olivia stood up once Fitz was in front of her. She took Teddy into her arms and started to talk to him.

"Hello there, Mr. Teddy. It's nice to finally meet you," Olivia said looking down at him. Teddy looked up at Olivia and a huge smile appeared on his face.

"Looks like someone is happy to finally meet you as well," Fitz said smiling.

"Everyone looks forward to meeting the great Olivia Pope," Olivia said with a laugh.

"Teddy I must say you are a cutie. I think you are even cuter than your dad. Just don't tell him I said that," she said in a whisper. Teddy started to giggle and Olivia couldn't help but laugh again.

"He's a smart kid."

"How you going talk about me like that and I'm standing right here?" Fitz asked.

"So," Olivia said with a shrug and a smile.

"Okay, Teddy. I think that's enough time with Olivia today. Since she doesn't know what she is talking about anymore," Fitz said playfully looking at Olivia.

"Sounds like you are a little jealous that I'm complimenting someone else and not you," Olivia said handing Teddy back to Fitz.

"I don't get jealous Liv."

"If you say so Fitz," Olivia said as she waved good-bye to Teddy.

"Thank you again for coming," Fitz said once he was back in his office.

"No problem. I'm actually glad that I came."

"Good."

"But I do think it's time for me to head home. Good luck on your speech."

"Thanks," Fitz said as he gave her the coat she brought with her. He followed close behind her as she made her way to the door. But before she could open the door he called after her."

"Yes," Olivia said turning around and coming face to face with his chest. She looked up at him quickly, trying not to give away how surprised she was that he was that close to her.

"Please don't go. Not yet," Fitz said looking down at her.

Olivia was at a loss for words and wasn't sure what to do. Fitz lifted his hand to rub Olivia's cheek with his thumb. He leaned down until his lips were close to hers. Olivia knew she should leave and pretend that this didn't happen but her feet felt like they were glued to the floor. When Fitz realized that Olivia was not going to protest her pressed his lips against hers.

Olivia felt Fitz's tongue against her lips and she took it eagerly into her mouth. They kissed slowly but passionately as if they were savoring the taste of each other. Fitz pulled back and stared Olivia in the eyes for a moment. He missed her and he wanted to make sure that she knew that. He took her coat, tossed it on a chair that was closest to the door, and went back to kissing her. Olivia hands moved to the back of his head and neck as she kissed him back.

"What happened to not being inappropriate?" Olivia asked in between their kissing.

Fitz stopped kissing her long enough to answer her question. 'You have it all wrong. I told you I wouldn't _say_ anything inappropriate. Not once did say I wouldn't _do_ anything inappropriate," Fitz said with a smirk. He locked the door and picked Olivia up. He walked over to his desk and put her down next to it. He moved his chair back and pulled Olivia close to him. While looking into her eyes her unbuttoned her pants and pulled them down with her panties without breaking eye contact. Olivia lifted her legs one by one so Fitz could push her shoes, pants, and panties to the side. He lifted her up and gently placed her on the edge of his desk. He pulled his chair as close as he could get it to his desk and sat down.

"You know Livvy. I've missed you a lot," he said before giving her a kiss on both of her thighs. "I want to show you how much I've missed you and how sorry I am." He pulled Olivia's legs apart and went to his favorite spot. The second that Olivia felt Fitz's tongue in between her thighs she felt chills all over. It was a feeling she missed and sometimes dreamt about. But it was never like experiencing it in reality, not even close.

Olivia closed her eyes while she rubbed the back of Fitz's head. As Fitz pleased her with his tongue her head fell back and she couldn't help but moan out loud.

"Oooo Fitz!"

Fitz reluctantly stopped and Olivia looked down at him. "You know I love that you are a moaner and when you call my name but you just can't do it this time," he said looking up at her. "I would hate for someone to interrupt us," he said with a smile. Fitz went back to what he was doing without saying anything else. Olivia started to moan again but a lot quieter.

She leaned back until she was lying on the desk and placed her legs onto Fitz shoulders. Fitz began kissing her along her inner thighs while he ran his hands up and down her legs. Olivia had to quickly bite her bottom lip to keep herself from calling his name out loud again.

Fitz went back to her pleasure spot and started to lick her with long, quick strokes. He knew once he picked up his pace it would really drive her crazy. Olivia started rubbing his head again and lightly pulled his hair when she felt herself getting close to her peak. Fitz knew she was almost there and he grasp both of her thighs tightly. "Ooooh Fitz" was the only thing she could say in a loud whisper just as she reached her peak of pleasure.

* * *

**A/N: Two quick things. 1.) I just finished my last year of college so that means I have more time to write. At least until I find a job. 2.) I'm completely unbiased when it comes to Fitz and Jake in this story. I've fallen in love with writing both of their parts and plan to have as much fun as possible with them. I hope you enjoyed this chapter.**


	10. Honesty

Chapter 10: Honesty

Olivia continued to lay there as her breathing returned back to normal. She stared at the ceiling trying to get an understanding of what just happened. What the hell was that? It couldn't be what I think it was. I'm imagining things. This must be a dream, Olivia thought to herself. But the sound of Fitz's voice reminded her that everything she experienced was real.

"Livvy you still taste amazing. I can't believe that I had to wait this long to taste you again," Fitz said before kissing her inner thighs.

"Thanks," Olivia said still staring at the ceiling.

Fitz took Olivia's legs off of his shoulders and pushed his chair back a little from the desk. He lifted one of her legs and started to lightly kiss the side of her foot. Then he began kissing her from her ankle up to her knee.

Olivia felt Fitz's lips go from one leg to the other and she found herself getting a little aroused. She inhaled deeply then exhaled slowly in attempt to control arousal.

Noticing she wasn't responding to what he was doing, Fitz stopped. He leaned back in the chair and stroked the side of Olivia's leg. "Did you enjoy yourself?"

"Yes."

"Are you sure? You don't sound like you did."

"Yes Fitz. I really did enjoy myself. More than you know." Shit. I wasn't supposed to let him know that, she thought.

Fitz smiled to himself at her response. He didn't plan for this to happen when he first called Olivia. He just wanted to see and talk to her again. Fitz was expecting Olivia to hang up the phone when she realized that it was him calling her that morning. Then, to his surprise, she agreed to come and he was determined to remain professional the entire time she was there. But seeing her assist him in writing his speech, her honesty with him, and how she interacted with Teddy reminded him why he was deeply in love with her. Those feelings got the best of him and it led to him pleasuring her with just the movement of his tongue.

"Does that mean you would like for me to repeat what I just did?" Fitz asked.

"Yes," Olivia said. But as soon as she said yes she changed her mind. "No. I meant no, she said as she finally sat up.

"What?" Fitz asked with surprise his voice.

"My answer is no. I can't let you do that again," she said looking down at him.

"You can't let me? That sounds like you want me to but for some crazy reason you changed your mind. Are you afraid of what other things that may come from this? If you are afraid I understand because there is a lot more that I want to do to you," Fitz said before pausing. "I want to make love to you on every inch of this office Olivia."

Olivia looked at Fitz and briefly considered giving in but she knew it wouldn't be a smart thing to do. "Sex doesn't fix everything Fitz. It just makes things more difficult to deal with. It creates a fantasy that helps you get through the moment without solving anything. So please move. I need to get down."

Fitz looked at her without moving. He wasn't completely sure what she meant by that but he knew questioning her would just upset her. Their evening together was going to end somewhat decently and he wanted to keep it that way. Without saying a word, he finally stood up and moved to the side to give Olivia room to get off the desk. He didn't want her to leave but he knew there wasn't anything he could do to keep here there.

Olivia quickly put her clothes back on and slipped on her shoes. She subconsciously fixed her hair with her hands. She didn't know how she looked but she wanted to make sure she didn't look like she did some unspeakable things with the leader of the free world.

'Don't worry. You look fine," Fitz said.

"Thanks," Olivia said more to herself than to Fitz as she went to put her coat back on. After grabbing her purse from the sofa she walked out of the Oval Office and the White House as fast as she could.

* * *

Olivia slowed her pace when she felt that there was enough distance between herself and Fitz's office. She tuned out the world as she focused on reaching her car. She was half way to the gate when she saw Cyrus walking towards her.

"Olivia?" Cyrus asked.

"Cy," Olivia said as she walked past him.

Cyrus stopped walking when he realized what happen and walked fast towards Olivia to catch up to her. "Olivia?"

Olivia didn't say anything.

"Olivia, did you hear me? I'm talking to you."

"I heard you the first time, Cyrus. I acknowledged you when I passed by and now I'm trying my best to ignore you, Olivia said.

"What are you doing here?"

"I don't know. I've been asking myself that same question since I got here today."

'Are you and Fitz back together now?"

"Cyrus you don't care so I don't know why you are asking. Whatever questions you have about Fitz's personal life you can ask him about it," Olivia said before she stopped walking.

"I'm asking you because he doesn't really tell me anything anymore. And believe it or not I worry about you sometimes."

"He doesn't tell you anything because to you he is President and the hell with any other person he wants to be. I've know you long enough to know what is really important to you Cyrus. You don't give a damn about anything outside this administration. So I don't believe it when you say that you worry about me. The only thing you worry about is yourself and your job.

Cyrus saw that Olivia was upset but didn't know why she was taking her frustration out on him. "What did I do to for you to be so angry at me?"

Olivia tried to walk off so she wouldn't have to answer Cyrus but he stopped her before she could.

"Liv tell me."

Olivia glanced at the White House in silence before answering him. "I'm angry at you because I had everything figured out until you introduced me to Fitz."

* * *

After placing her keys and purse on her dresser, Olivia found some clothes to change into. She took a shower, got dressed, and walked into her kitchen. She was happy that she still had left had food left from the night before because she had little energy to cook dinner. Actually she had little energy to do anything. Fitz had used his flawless charm and she fell for it like a naïve little girl once again. Their sexual encounter and the enjoyment she felt was a reminder that her attraction and love for Fitz was not going away. No matter how hard she try to ignore those feelings they would always be there.

She got comfortable on her sofa and watched the news as she ate. As soon as she finished eating and drank the last bit of her wine her cell phone started to ring. She was hesitant to answer because she thought it was Fitz but she saw she that it was Jake instead. But rather than answering the phone she watched as her phone showed that she had one missed called and then it showed she had a voice mail She didn't answer because she knew he would ask her about her day and how it went and she didn't want to lie to him. That's when Olivia realized that her attraction to Jake was stronger than she initially thought and it scared the hell out of her. He was part of the reason why she turned down Fitz's offer earlier. She never thought she would feel this way about another guy because of Fitz. Maybe later on in life if she tried hard enough but not now.

Olivia was a 34 year old woman but felt like a teenage girl who was stuck between two guys. She was confused and needed to talk to one of only two people who always gave her the best relationship advice. Her best friend and sister Alicia.

"Liv! How is my favorite sister in the world doing?"

"I'm doing okay but I thought that I was always your favorite sister. I am your only sister last time I checked," Olivia said with a smile.

"Thanks for ruining the moment Liv, Alicia said playfully. It was perfect until you decided to become Ms. Debby Downer tonight. I still love you though."

"You know I love to give you a hard time."

"Yeah I know. But you would think it would be the other way around since you are the oldest."

"You always give me a hard time Ali. So when I have a chance to do the same I have to take it."

"I guess that's only fair then, Alicia said with a smile. I miss you sis."

"I miss you more sis. How was your day? I'm sure you did some last minute shopping for the baby."

"Yeah, I did. Daniel and I bought a car seat and a few more things for the nursery. We are going to work on getting the nursery together more tomorrow. Probably go shopping again too," Alicia said

"That sounds like fun. So that means I can go with you two when I get there tomorrow?"

"Of course you can. Wait, you're coming here tomorrow?"

"Yes I am," Olivia said.

"Thank God you are coming because I've been stressing out a little lately. Some sister time would be helpful right now."

"Well that makes the two of us."

"That doesn't sound good. What happened?"

"I unexpectedly found myself at the White House today. I spent most of the afternoon there and some things happened."

"Olivia, did you let him get the cookies again? I've done told you about that. Alicia said with a laugh.

"No I didn't give him the cookies. Unless letting him taste the cookies classifies as giving it to him, then yes I did."

"No you didn't! I need details."

"Alicia I'm not giving you details. You little freak," Olivia said before she started to laugh.

"I'm not a freak. From the things you told me that you two have done I would say you are the freak. Sometimes I think you may be a part time porn star or something, Alicia said laughing. Besides I just wanted the details on what led up to it."

"Uh huh, whatever you say Ali. And don't call me a porn star because you're not innocent yourself. I'll fill you in on the details tomorrow when I get there. Then we can talk about why you are stressing out."

"Okay but I want to hear about it now Liv. This is just too juicy to wait until tomorrow," Alicia whined playfully.

"You can whine all you want. I'm not telling you anything."

"You are so cruel Olivia."

"But you still love me Alicia. Remember, I'm your favorite sister."

"You're torturing me right now so I'm rethinking that."

"Get some rest Ali. See you tomorrow."

"See you tomorrow Liv. Love you sis."

"I love you too sis."

Olivia hung up the phone and turned her tv off. After washing the dishes she used for dinner, she turned off the lights and got ready for bed. Once she was in bed she decided to call to Jake. As she listened to the ringing through the phone she got a little nervous. Jake didn't answer and she felt a little relieved. She left a short message once his voice mail came on and fell asleep shortly afterwards.

* * *

**A/N: I wanted to have this chapter done two days ago but it was giving me some trouble. Sorry that it's slightly shorter than the last two chapters. And to IslandGurl90: thank you. **


	11. Decisions

Chapter 11: Decisions

Jake double checked the hotel room that he stayed in since Friday evening to make sure he had everything. His flight was scheduled to leave in two hours but he wasn't worried about it. He was only fifteen minutes from the airport so he would have more than enough time to check in and go through security. Once he had everything he shoved the rental car keys, the room key, his cell phone, and wallet into his pockets. Then he picked up his duffel bag and backpack off the bed, turned the lights off and headed to the elevator.

Jake made it to the airport in thirty minutes due to traffic. He checked in and went through security somewhat quickly which gave him time to eat before he had to get to his gate. He thought about calling Olivia but he was going to let her call him like she said she would. At that moment, he couldn't help but wonder if she was missing him. There was no doubt that he was missing her and he hope he could see her before the week was over. This was the first time he ever truly felt this way about someone. He thought he felt this way about his ex from his last relationship but she turned out to be his worst nightmare. She was the textbook definition of the type of woman military men tried to stay away from at all cost. But the way he felt about Olivia was completely different and it kind of scared him. He didn't want to screw up things before they really started. He also wanted a chance to give Olivia everything she deserved.

* * *

Olivia planned to call Jake again when she woke up but she wasn't ready to talk to him yet. She was still dealing with the mixed emotions she felt after her visit to the White House the day before and talking to Jake would make her feel even guiltier than she already felt. Having dreams about Fitz last night didn't help her situation either. Since she told Jake she would call him back this would give her some time to figure some things out.

She pulled her car into the driveway behind her sister's car and hooked the horn. She called Alicia when she was ten minutes away so Olivia knew it wouldn't take her sister long to come outside. By the time Olivia walked to the trunk of her car she could see Alicia and Daniel walking out to her.

"Olivia, I'm glad that you are finally here," Alicia said with a smile.

"Me too," Olivia said as she gave her sister a hug.

"Hey Danny, how are you?"

"I'm great Liv. It's good to see you again," Daniel said as he gave Olivia a hug.

"It's always good to see you as well."

"You two can go in and I'll grab your bags for you."

"Thank you," Olivia said. She grabbed her purse off the passenger seat and locked her arm with Alicia's one as they walked towards the front door of the house.

"You look like you are going to drop this baby at any minute now."

"You're right. Thank God this little one will be here in two weeks. I don't know how much more of this waddling I can take," Alicia said making Olivia laugh.

They made small talk in the living room while Daniel took Olivia's things to the guest room. Once he finished he grabbed the car keys and Alicia's purse from their bedroom and headed towards to the living room.

"Liv how long you were planning to stay? Alicia asked.

"I'm going to stay until next Sunday. I mean if that's okay with you and Daniel."

"I don't think Danny will have a problem with it but I'll ask him to make sure."

"Ask me what?" Daniel said walking into the living room.

Liv wanted to stay until next Sunday and I told her that I was going to ask you to see if that was okay.

"Sure, that's fine with me. You know I always enjoy having my sister-in-law around. Besides I can use your help in doing some damage control when you sister starts flipping out on me," Daniel said with a smile.

"I'm sure she's not that bad. But in case she is, let's just blame it on the pregnancy hormones," Olivia said with a smile.

"Are you sure we can blame it on that?" he asked with a grin.

"Excuse me I'm not that bad," Alicia said.

"You're right babe, you're not. I still love either way."

"Mmmhmm you better," Alicia said before Daniel gave her a quick kiss on the lips.

"Now, are you two lovely ladies ready to go?" Daniel asked.

"Yes," they said in unison and they headed off to their first destination for the day.

* * *

Olivia and Alicia made small and shared some laughs while they watched a comedy movie that was on TV. This was their way of unwinding after a somewhat stressful day. They went grocery shopping that morning, ran a few errands shortly after noon, and when they made it back home they spent a few hours making sure everything was set up and organized in nursery. It was Friday afternoon and Olivia was enjoying the time she had with her sister that week. It's been a while since they've had this much time to spend together but Olivia vowed to change that. She also wanted to be an active aunt in her nephew's life.

"We have to do this again soon," Alicia said.

"I completely agree," Olivia said.

"Ali, I'm going to hang out with Jason and Kevin for a while, Daniel said coming into the living room. "I will be back before it's too late."

"That's fine. Have fun and tell them I said hello."

"I will and you don't have to get up," Daniel said. He leaned down and gave Alicia a long but simple kiss on the lips. Olivia couldn't help but smile to herself because she was happy that her sister had a man like Daniel in her life. He was a loving and thoughtful man who enjoyed taking care of his woman and Olivia saw that in everything he did for Alicia.

"I love you," Daniel said.

"I love you too," Alicia said

"Take care of my wife Liv and I will see you two later."

"I always do and see you later."

"So can you give me the details now?" Alicia asked Olivia when the movie ended.

"Nope."

"Why not?"

"Because you haven't told me what my nephew's name is yet. I know you and Danny wanted to surprise everyone by telling us his name once he is born but I can't wait any longer. So if you tell me his name I'll tell you every detail you want to know."

"Every detail?" Alicia asked with smile.

"Every detail," Olivia said with a smile.

"Okay. We are going to name him after Daniel."

"I should have known. Daniel Connor Brooks Jr will fit my nephew perfectly."

Alicia nodded, "I agree. Now, I want all the details. I need to know what happened from the beginning to the end without you skipping anything."

Olivia grinned at the demands of her sister and told her everything she wanted to know. Alicia hung on to Olivia's every word like a child listening to their favorite book being read to them. Alicia asked a few questions but fought to hold back her comments until Olivia was done.

"Wow," Alicia said.

"I know. I know." Olivia said looking at the shocked look on her sister's face.

"Mr. POTUS still has some serious tongue game. And he definitely still has you whipped. Who would have known," Alicia said before she burst out in laughter.

"Shut up Ali," Olivia said before getting up to go to the kitchen to get some water. Olivia was blushing because she knew everything that Alicia said was true.

"Come on Liv, you know I'm telling the truth. Fitz is the man in the Oval Office and in the bedroom."

"I never said he wasn't, Olivia said sitting back down by her sister. "He may be amazing as President and in the bedroom but that doesn't mean anything."

"I know it doesn't but come on. This is Fitzgerald Thomas Grant III we are talking about. He's everything a woman could ever want and need. And did I mention that he is sexy as hell?"

"And do I need to remind you that you're a married woman?"

"Hey, I'm a happily married woman but I'm just stating the facts here. I'm just saying what most women that have sight in the country feels. He has the total package but so does my husband. So don't worry Liv, I won't be stealing your man anytime soon," Alicia said with a smile.

"Ali, I'm not worried about you because I know you are just joking with me. Besides, Mellie is the one that would be worried if you try to take Fitz away from her."

Alicia rolled her eyes at the sound of Mellie's name. "Mellie may be a decent woman aside from all of her craziness, but she's not you Liv. From everything you've told me and how I saw the way Fitz acts around you says it all. I've only been around him only a few times but it's enough for me to know that he loves you. He's madly in love with you. It's just unfortunate that some things are keeping you two apart when you two are meant to be together."

"Yes, because he's the President of the United States. He's also a married man with three kids. Gerry and Karen adore me and I adore them. Even Teddy likes me and I just met him for the first time yesterday. The biggest thing is his job and his marriage."

"I believe his marriage is the only issue here. If he was a single president things would not be as bad as it is. Yes, it would be hard for a single president to date but it would be doable. It has never happened either but it's possible. It's just being in love with a man that's taking, rather he is in a relationship or married is a hard thing to deal with."

Olivia nodded, "Saying it is a hard thing to deal with is an understatement. Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"I know we never really went in depth about my relationship with Fitz before and I appreciate that we are now. But how come you never judged me for it? Most people would if they knew what was going on," Olivia said.

"I'm not like everyone and you know that. You are my sister and I know you just as well as you know yourself. You would have never allowed Fitz to pursue you if you knew things were well between him and Mellie before you came along. You would have shut it down and kept it moving. Even if you had liked Fitz and his marriage was in a good place you wasn't going to go after him. As for judging you, I would never do that. Would I have preferred you to fall in love with a man that was available? Yes, but love doesn't work that way. Fitz's marriage was dead for a long time and he is only married in name."

"I know he's only married in name and we are in love with each other but I'm tired of waiting. I'm tired of sneaking around, lying, and being second best."

"I hope you know that you are not second best in Fitz's eyes."

"I know I'm not but it's not hard to feel that way when you see the man that you love fake a marriage with another woman. The woman who happens to be the mother of his kids but he can't stand to be with."

"I understand," Alicia said simply. "Does Jake have anything to do with the way you feel now?"

"He's part of the reason. As of lately I've realized that I want and need more. The time I've spent with him when I thought things were over between Fitz and I taught me that I could be happy with someone else. It also taught me that I should start being selfish and chose happiness for once.

"Because you no longer want to sacrifice and compromise for a shred of happiness that only occurs every now and then," Alicia said speaking Olivia's thoughts out loud.

"Pretty much," Olivia said before taking a sip of water. Olivia was feeling a little better she was able to get everything out in the open.

"Well, you have to do what's best for you. You have to decide whether it's still worth waiting on Fitz or should you try to have a relationship with someone new. If you feel that you and Jake have potential then go for it. And just because I say that it doesn't mean I don't like Fitz. I think you two are great together but there is only so much a person can take."

"Thanks for everything Alicia."

"No problem. I just want you to be happy no matter what.'

"I do too," Olivia said with a small smile.

Alicia gave her a smile back and got up to go to the bathroom. Olivia checked her phone to see if there were any missed messages and was a little relieved that there was none from Jake. It's been almost a week and she still didn't call Jake back yet. She was about to send Jake a text message telling him that she would call him before she went to sleep but she heard Alicia call her name.

"Yes?"

"Can you call Daniel for me please? My water just broke."

A huge smile came to Olivia's face. "That means I'm finally going to meet my nephew."

"Yep," Alicia said grinning. "Your nephew is ready to make his grand entrance."

* * *

**A/N: As always thank you for reading and sticking with this story. This is the first story I have ever written so the feedback has been encouraging. Hope you enjoyed this chapter. **


	12. I Want You

Chapter 12: I Want You

It was Saturday morning and Olivia was finally heading home. She only had a two hour drive left so she would be home no later than noon. Daniel Jr. was born late last Saturday weighing seven pounds, five ounces and to Olivia he was perfect. Mostly because he was her nephew but a small part was due to the fact that he reminded her of what she always wanted. She always wanted the husband, children, and nice house scenario. Burying herself into her work was not something she wanted to do for the rest of her life. It was something she couldn't do for the rest of her life. She never thought her personal life would be in the shape it was in at this point in her life and she felt like a failure. Not a failure to others but a failure to herself.

Once she made it into D.C. she got something to eat from one of her favorite restaurants located down the street from her apartment building. It wasn't long before she was on the elevator heading towards her apartment. After making two trips to her car, she was finally able to relax like she wanted to. She turned on the stereo in her living room while she ate and unpacked in her bedroom. Soon she found herself browsing the internet in attempt to pass the time and to keep herself from losing her mind.

Olivia tried to distract herself by being on the computer and listening to the music but it wasn't working. The conversation she had with her sister was playing over and over in her mind. Alicia was right about her needing to make a decision between Fitz and Jake. It was probably one of the hardest things she ever had to do because how she felt about both of them. It was also a hard decision to make because she knew whoever she decided to be with wasn't going to be accepted easily by the other. But it was a decision that had to be made regardless of the consequences.

* * *

It was now eight o'clock and Olivia was making her way to where he was. She finally knew who she wanted to be with and it made her nervous and excited at the same time. Things were going to be different from this point on but she was looking forward to it. But the look on his face when he saw her made Olivia feel a little uneasy about her decision.

"What are you doing here Olivia?"

"I came here to see you," Olivia said.

Jake stood there quietly looking at Olivia as she stood in his doorway. He had a hard time figuring out what to say because he was surprised to see her. He was happy that she was there but the way he currently felt towards her kept him from showing it.

"Why?" he asked.

That wasn't the response that Olivia was expecting but she understood why he would respond in that way.

"I need and want to talk to you," Olivia said slowly.

"You want to talk now? It's been two weeks."

"I know." Olivia didn't know what else to say. She knew that going two weeks without talking to Jake didn't help her right now but she was hoping he wouldn't hold that against her for too long.

Jake fell silent again but moved out of the way so Olivia could walk in. He locked the door and walked towards the kitchen. Olivia walked closely behind him choosing not say anything. This was the first time he was upset with her and she hated it.

"I just finished cooking. You're more than welcome to have some if you want."

"Thank you. I would like that," Olivia said before taking a seat at the dining room table. From where she sat she could see Jake turning off the stove and taking two plates from the cabinet. She also watched as he grabbed some silverware from a drawer by the sink. It felt weird that they weren't showing some type of affection towards one another. Olivia wondered if Jake felt the same way. She had grown accustomed to having moments like that when she was around him and she was missing it.

"How come you're cooking dinner on a Saturday night?"

"Just kinda felt like a home cooked meal I guess. Besides, I didn't have plans to do anything else tonight so I decided to cook," he said with a look of disappointment on his face. Jake placed a plate in front of Olivia and place one across from her. Olivia knew what he meant but didn't want to comment on it.

"Well, there's nothing wrong with wanting a home cooked meal every once in a while."

"You're right," Jake said from his kitchen. He returned to the table with two glasses and a bottle of wine. "I got this for you just in case you ever came back over." He poured some wine for himself and Olivia before taking a seat.

"Thanks," Olivia said. She was glad to see that he was still being thoughtful.

"You're welcome," Jake said.

They continued to talk while they ate but it was different from the way it usually would be. Their conversation felt a little awkward and forced. They both felt this way and knew why things were like this. They both had something to say but didn't know how to really say it.

After they finished eating Jake decided to bring up topic they both were thinking about. Avoiding it wasn't making anything better and he was tired of coming up with reasons why Olivia was there. He mainly felt like Olivia was there to tell him that things couldn't go any further between them. If that was the reason, he wanted to hear it now rather than later. That way he could work on moving past it.

"Did you enjoy your dinner?"

"Yes, it was delicious," Olivia said.

"I'm glad you did. If you don't mind me asking how come you didn't you call to me for two weeks?"

"I didn't mean for that happen."

"That's not really answering the question Olivia," Jake said.

Olivia took a deep breath before she gave him a real answer.

"I went to my sister's to spend time with her. I got caught up with helping her with making sure everything was finalized for the baby. I also was dealing with a few things myself. Then she went into labor a week early so I wanted to stay another week. To spend time with my nephew and to give my sister and her husband some help."

"How are they doing?"

"They all are doing fine, Olivia said. She noticed that the tone in Jake's voice changed a little after she explained to him why she didn't call. But there was still tension that existed.

Jake nodded before picking up the wine bottle again. He poured himself some wine in the glass. He offered more wine to Olivia and she accepted. They both drank their glass of the wine while staring at each other.

"Is everything okay?" Olivia asked after she finished her wine.

"Of course it is," he said standing up.

"Is it?"

"Yes." He picked up his and Olivia's plate, along with their glasses, and went back into the kitchen. Jake knew he was probably overreacting with the way he felt but he couldn't help how he felt when it came to Olivia.

Olivia stood up and followed him into the kitchen. "I don't think you are telling me everything."

"Why do you think that?"

"Because ever since I came here it feels like you've been trying to keep your distance from me. It also feels like you really don't want to talk to me."

"You were the one that was keeping the distance and I do want to talk to you," Jake said as he watched the dishes they used during dinner. Neither of them were yelling and he was happy for that.

"I have a hard time believing that. I mean I know that you are mad at me and –"

"I'm not mad at you. Am I little angry? Yes, but I'm more disappointed than anything else. I thought we had a good thing going here then I go to California and everything changes. For the first week I thought something happened to you." He glanced at Olivia who was leaning against the counter next to him before he continued. "Then I realized how stupid that sounded because if something really did happen to you it would have been all over the news. So by the end of this week I had told myself that you no longer wanted to have anything to do with me. Or at least that's what I was trying to convince myself to believe. Then you show up here unexpectedly and I've been confused ever since," Jake said.

"I'm sorry," Olivia said quietly.

"I know you are. If you weren't sorry you wouldn't be here right now."

"Jake can you come over here please?" Olivia asked as she watched Jake put the dishes away. When he was done he walked over to where she was and stood in front of her. She took his hands into hers and looked up at him.

"I didn't come here for that reason alone. I wished you never thought that I didn't want anything to do with you. It's completely untrue because… I want you."

"What?"

"I said I want you Jake," Olivia said moving her hands to the sides of his face. "I want all of you. "And more than anything I want you in every possible way." She pulled his face to hers until their lips met.

Olivia sucked on his bottom lip a few seconds before slipping her tongue into his mouth. Jake closed the small space that was between them and leaned his body against Olivia's. He allowed himself to enjoy his tongue being intertwined with hers for a while before he pulled away.

"I don't want to do this if you're not completely sure about this. If you think you'll regret this in the morning or later on we don't have to do anything. We can just stop now and pretend that it never happened."

"I promise I won't regret this," Olivia said before wrapping her arms around his neck. "Besides, I like you too much and want you too bad to have any doubt afterwards," she said seductively.

The look that Olivia was giving him at that moment confirmed everything he needed to know. "I was hoping you would say that," Jake said with a smirk.

Jake picked Olivia up and placed her on the counter that she was leaning against previously. He immediately went back to kissing her passionately, this time without any hesitation. Olivia wrapped her legs around Jake's waist as his lips went to her neck. He licked and kissed both sides of her neck passionately while Olivia held onto the back of his neck. Jake's lips found their way back to Olivia's lips when one of his hands slid underneath her blouse and began to massage her breast. Olivia started to lightly moan the second she felt his hand on her breast. She reached for Jake's belt, beginning to unbuckle it when he pulled away.

"Patience Ms. Pope. We do have all night.

"Oh I know we do. I just don't want to be patient anymore. Can you blame me Mr. Ballard?"

"No, not at all," Jake said before giving her a kiss. "This means I shouldn't keep you waiting, right?"

"It would be really nice if you didn't," Olivia said with a smile.

Jake gave her a smile back and lifted her off of the counter. Olivia kept her legs wrapped around him while kissing him as he carried her to his bedroom. He carefully placed her on the bed and took her clothes off. Seeing her naked took her beauty to another level and he wanted to do something before he was going to satisfy her in the way that she wanted him to. He quickly undressed himself without breaking eye contact with Olivia. She motioned for him to come closer with her index finger and Jake became more aroused. He slowly climbed on top of her, pausing to look at her briefly then went to teasing her breast with his mouth.

The familiar sound of Olivia's moans returned as Jake sucked, licked, and slightly nibble on her nipples. She got more and more aroused as he continued to tease her. She pulled his face to hers when she grew tired of missing the taste of tongue. She kissed him long and passionately before slightly pushing him away.

"You have to stop teasing me," Olivia said playfully.

"I'm not teasing you. This would be teasing you," Jake said before quickly sliding the tip of his member in and out of her pleasure spot. When he got the reaction from Olivia that he was looking for he slid his member slowly into her until all of him was surrounded by her warmth and wetness. She arched her back a little and let out a gasp once he was completely inside of her. She felt a pleasurable feeling mixed with a small amount pain but her body quickly relaxed once he moved in and out of her a few times.

Jake moved in and out of Olivia a little faster than he was before while kissing her on neck. He began to moan a little when he felt Olivia digging her nails into his back. She lifted her head to kiss him on his neck and shoulder. He felt great inside of her and his moans were beginning to drive her crazy.

"Please. Don't. Stop," she said in a moan as her head fell back onto the bed in pleasure.

Jake continued his rhythm a little longer before leaning his head down to whisper in her ear. "I promise I won't."

He quickened his rhythm again and Olivia moaned louder. Jake covered her mouth with his as his thrusts became harder and more frequent. Olivia arched her back in pleasure as she felt herself getting closer to her peak. She dug her nails deeper into Jake's back causing him to break their kiss. It wasn't long before Olivia let a long and satisfying moan. Seconds later Jake felt the same pleasure that Olivia was experiencing and his rhythm began to slow. He came to a completely stop before kissing her again. He kissed her until their breathing returned to normal and he rolled over onto his side, pulling her close to him. There was silence before either of them spoke but it was silence that came from satisfaction.

"We should have done this a long time ago," Olivia said with smile.

"If I remember correctly you were the one who was afraid to give in," Jake said as he pushed back some of her hair that was in her face.

"I wasn't afraid. I just wanted to be sure." Olivia ran her nails lightly up and down his back causing him to smile.

"I know and I didn't mind waiting. I told you that because I meant it."

"Well, I think it was worth the wait."

"I agree," he said and gave her a quick kiss. "So what do you want to do now?"

"The only suitable thing we should do at this point."

"And that would be?" Jake asked with a raised eyebrow.

"We should go for another round. Unless you can't handle it right now," Olivia said with a smile

A smile came to Jake's face because he had the same thought in mind. He rolled back on top of her and Olivia stared him in the eyes.

"I can handle it. I just hope you can."

* * *

**A/N: Ok, I know some of you probably hated this chapter but I want to hear your opinions anyway. The next chapter will be the last one. **


	13. Response to Chapter 12 Reviews

First, I just like to say thanks to those who read Chapter 12. The whole chapter even if you didn't like it. Special thanks to the person who said that they like the chapter in spite of them being team Olitz. Now, since that is out the way let me give a response to all of the negative feedback. I truly appreciate and respect all opinions. Everyone is entitled to them and I love feedback. But for those who keep saying that I led Olitz fans to believe one thing just to get readers is far from the truth. It is EXTREMELY far from the truth. I have a million other things to do with my time than to lead on a certain group of people just so my story can gain attention. That also goes for those who are strictly Olake fans. I've stated since the beginning that this is an Olivia/Fitz/Jake story. Meaning the story I have and want to tell is far from over with. This also means I won't change the characters to only reflect Olivia and Jake because it would be wrong. I like these three characters, in this story and on the show also, and all of them serve a purpose for my story. I do have one chapter left. The last chapter is a set up for a possible sequel. Now, I don't have to do a sequel. I can just write the last chapter and leave it to your imagination as to how things end. At the same time, I can do a sequel if people are willing to read it. If I only have a handful of people read it that is fine by me too. Because I want to write stories that people will enjoy even if they don't agree with certain things that are going on. I'm a HUGE Scandal fan and just wanted to find a creative way to share my obsession with other fans. So I hope you decide to read Chapter 13 when I post it. If not, it's understandable. No love lost either way. My endgame will be revealed in the sequel (if it gets to that point). Whether it's Jake or Fitz you just have to read to find out. I like to be guessing to the end of a story instead of being told what will happen. Its fun that way and I want to create that feeling for my readers. Again, thanks for all of your opinions and for those who enjoy my work.


	14. Let Go

Chapter 13: Let Go

Olivia sat at her desk as she went through a few files for a case she agreed to take on the day before. As much as she wanted to focus her attention on the case her mind was elsewhere. It's been three weeks since she chose to be with Jake and she was more than happy with her decision. She hadn't told Fitz yet because she knew she needed to give herself sometime before she told him. Olivia knew it would hurt him but at the same she didn't want to wait much longer. She just wasn't sure what day she would go to the White House yet.

"Olivia, you have a visitor," Quinn said.

"Who is it?"

"He asked me not to say who it is," Quinn said with a smile. She left before Olivia could ask any more questions.

Olivia placed some paperwork back into their proper folders and closed it. She got up and headed to the main door still trying to figure out who it could be. But when she saw who it was she smiled to herself and gave him a hug.

"Jake what are you doing here?"

"I know I usually call first if I want to stop by but I wanted to surprise you. Can I take you to lunch?"

"The answer to that will always be yes."

"Good. I have something I want to show you when we get there."

"Is it something good or bad?"

"That will depend on how you look at it."

"This is why I like to grab lunch this time of the day. We get to avoid the lunch crowd," Olivia said after they ordered their food. It didn't take long for them to walk to the restaurant and to be seated inside. Olivia enjoyed when she and Jake were able to get lunch which rarely happened due to his hectic work schedule.

Jake nodded, "I agree. This is much more relaxing."

"How is your day going so far?"

"It's going great. How about yours?"

"Mine is the same. You know I need to start taking you out for lunch or bring you lunch sometimes."

"You don't have to but if you want to that's fine. I won't turn down free food," Jake said making Olivia laugh.

"I didn't think you would."

After they finished their lunch, Jake pulled out an envelope and placed it on the table in front of Olivia.

"What's this?"

"Open it and find out."

Olivia picked up the envelope and glanced at Jake who was waiting for her to open it. She turned it over to open it and pulled out the invitation that was inside. She read it carefully before saying anything.

"You got an invitation from the White House to attend the State Dinner?"

"Yep and it's a personal invite from the President himself," Jake said.

"I saw that. How did that happen?"

"The President and I are old friends".

"Old friends?" Olivia asked.

"Yes. We served in the Navy together."

Now Olivia knew why Fitz had her follow and didn't like Jake. She initially thought it was because she was spending time with another man but it went beyond that. Jake was a friend of his and she knew Fitz felt like Jake had betrayed him by being with the woman that he loved.

"But we are not exactly friends anymore."

"Why not?"

"It's complicated and not worth talking about. That's why I was caught off guard this morning when it was brought to my office this morning."

"That's understandable. It is only a few days away. Are you going?"

"Yes but only if you agree to go with me," Jake said.

Olivia looked at the invitation as she thought about her answer. Going with Jake wasn't the problem, seeing Fitz was the problem. Whenever she was around Fitz something always happened. She knew she wasn't going to allow anything sexually to happen between them again but that still didn't put her mind at ease. However, she was curious as to why Fitz invited Jake and she was also going to let Fitz know about her and Jake. Whether he wanted to hear it or not he needed to know.

"Okay, I'll go."

* * *

"I wasn't expecting this but I do appreciate it."

"I know and that's why I did it," Jake said. Olivia moved closer to him as they rode to the White House. It was now the day of the State Dinner.

"The limousine wasn't necessary you know. I'm starting to think you like spoiling me."

"Maybe I do," Jake said. He shifted in his seat to face her. "I don't think there is any harm in doing this for a woman who deserves it. And if you were my girlfriend I would do a lot more.

"You're girlfriend, huh?"

"Yes ma'am. Unless you think we are told old to be calling each girlfriend and boyfriend. In that case, I'm sure we can come up with something different.

Olivia leaned in and kissed him in a way that slightly turned both of them on. She smiled at him after their kiss was done and he did the same in return.

"I would love to be your girlfriend, Jake."

* * *

Jake led Olivia to the dance floor, pulled her close, and they began to dance. He was enjoying his evening just as much as Olivia was. The biggest part of the State Dinner was over and now it was time for everyone to unwind a little. He still didn't like the fact that Fitz invited him to come but in a way he was glad that Fitz did. This was just another way he could show off Olivia and being able to do that in front of Fitz was great. And knowing that Olivia was officially his made things that much better.

"I know I've told you this before but I just need to say it again. You look absolutely beautiful."

"Thank you," Olivia said smiling up at him. "And again, you look very handsome."

Jake smiled back at her, "Thank you." He leaned his head down and gave her a kiss. "I can't wait to get you back to your place."

"Why is that?"

"I just want to properly thank you for coming with me tonight."

"Well, I can't wait to see what you have in mind," Olivia said with a wink. Olivia knew exactly what he meant and she couldn't wait for it.

"I'm sorry to interrupt Capt. Ballard but may I have a dance with your date?" Jake straightened up and saw that it was Fitz but he didn't say anything.

"I won't keep her too long. I just don't see my favorite White House Communications director that much anymore and I would like a few minutes with her to see how she has been," Fitz said with a smile.

Olivia knew he was standing behind her but she didn't make any effort to turn around.

"Well Mr. President, I don't see a problem with that," Jake said. He did have a problem with it but he couldn't let Olivia know that. He looked down at Olivia who was looking straight ahead in an attempt to tune out what was going on. "Is that okay with you Olivia?"

Olivia focused her attention back to Jake. "Yes, that's fine," she said.

"Okay," Jake said.

Fitz watched as Jake leaned his head down to give Olivia a kiss on the lips. It was a quick kiss but it could have been a kiss that involved their tongues and Fitz would have felt the same feelings. His feelings were a mixture of sadness, jealousy, and anger. He never liked the possibility of Olivia being with another man but watching her show affection to Jake right in front of him was making things that much harder to deal with.

"She's all yours Mr. President," Jake said with a bit of sarcasm that only Fitz noticed.

Once Jake was out of sight, Fitz walked around Olivia and stopped when he was in front of her. Fitz stared at her while Olivia stared back at him, neither one of them saying a word. He stared at her because wanted to pull her close so he could kiss her not just to dance with her. Olivia stared at him because she was a little nervous and also a little impatient. She wanted to get their dance over with as quickly as possible.

"Are we going to dance or have a staring contest President Grant?" Olivia asked nicely.

Fitz wrapped his arm around Olivia's waist, placing his hand on her lower back and pulling her closer to him. He held up his other hand, Olivia placed her hand into his, and placed her other hand on his back. They began to dance as the music played. Everyone around them were dancing and talking while they danced in silence. They both took turns briefly looking at each other. However, Fitz took longer looks of Olivia and she did her best to avoid eye contact that lasted longer than a few seconds.

Jake watched as Fitz and Olivia danced and he couldn't wait to it was over with. He sat at an empty table as he waited. Jake knew Fitz just wanted to spend as much time as possible with Olivia and she just wanted to be a nice person in front of everyone. Jake also knew that Olivia wanted him and nothing was going to change that. Even if Fitz thought he could change it.

"I'm surprise to see you over here while he is dancing with Olivia," Mellie said as she took a seat next to Jake.

"I'm surprise to see _you_ over here while he is dancing with Olivia," Jake repeated as he took a sip of his drink. "This is what you fought so hard for to make sure it didn't happen anymore. If I do remember correctly."

"I have nothing to worry about. This little dance is only foreplay. He will get excited, lust after her, and get caught up in the moment. She will leave him wanting more by going home with you. Then he will go home disappointed and sexually frustrated because he thought he was going to get more than what he is getting now."

"Let me guess what happens next. He has sex with you just to release the tension and for a split second you will feel like he loves you. That's sad Mellie, even for you," Jake said without taking his eyes off of Fitz and Olivia.

"No wonder you and Fitz got along so well. You both can be assholes at times.

"Well, being an asshole is still more fun than being stuck in a fake and loveless marriage, Jake said before looking at Mellie. "I may be wrong about that though."

Mellie stood up to leave the table. But before she did, she leaned down to whisper in Jake's ear.

"Be careful of how you speak to me Jake. I'm still the First Lady and I can make you life a living hell if I need to."

The song that the band was playing came to an end sooner than Fitz expected it to. They both broke away from one another to give the band a round of applause. Olivia turned to face Fitz before speaking.

"Thank you for the dance sir."

"That wasn't fair."

"What wasn't fair?"

"Dancing with me but not speaking," Fitz said.

"I didn't know I was required to speak while dancing."

"Any other time you can speak. Or is Popeye being here the reason why you are pretending I don't exist."

"Popeye and pretending you don't exist? You're funny."

"Prove me wrong then. Let's have another dance," Fitz challenged.

"Do you know how that would look with me dancing with the President twice in one night?"

"I don't care how it looks, Fitz said lowering his voice slightly. Besides everyone knows how important you are to the White House so they won't think twice about it," Fitz said.

Olivia heard what Fitz was saying but she knew his last statement really meant that she was important to him and he loved her. Meaning he didn't give a damn about what others thought when they were in public together. She knew she should take this time to let Fitz know about her and Jake but she wasn't in the mood to tell him again. Olivia knew it was going to hurt him and she didn't want to put him into a depressed state during a time like this.

"Maybe we can talk some other time," Olivia said walking off before Fitz could say another word. It didn't take long before she spotted Jake sitting at an empty table.

"Hope I didn't keep you waiting for too long," Olivia said. She sat down next to him.

"You didn't," Jake said

"Good."

"So what do you want to do now?"

"There are a few people I want to speak with for a moment then we can leave if you want."

"That's fine," Jake said.

"You can come with me if you want," Olivia said as she stood up from the table.

Olivia made her way around the room speaking to people who she wasn't able to speak with before the State Dinner began. A few were government officials and a few were people who she worked closely with while working at the White House. Lavish dinners and large functions at the White House wasn't really her thing but she did enjoy herself whenever she did go. But after being there now for three hours she was ready to leave.

"Are you ready to leave?" Olivia asked

"Only if you are ready, Jake said. "Did you speak to everyone?"

"I did." Olivia and Jake were making their way to the main entrance of the room to leave when she saw Tom walking towards them.

"Ms. Pope, the President would like to speak to you before you leave, Tom said.

"Did he say why?"

"No ma'am. He just said it was important."

Olivia nodded. She wasn't too surprise about Fitz was doing. This was his way of spending some alone time with her and she was going to allow it.

"Where is he?"

"He is in his office."

"You just couldn't stop until you found a way for me to talk to you, could you?" Olivia said once Tom left the Oval Office.

"It's not in my nature to give up so easily. Especially when it involves the woman I'm in love with."

"Fitz, can you please tell me what you needed so I can go home?" She was trying her best to get this over with but something told her it was going to be an easy thing to do.

There was silence again for Fitz spoke. "I forgot to tell you how beautiful you look tonight."

"Thank you and you look great yourself. But I have a feeling that you didn't send Tom to get me just to tell me that."

"You're right. I really wanted to say that I'm surprise to see you here tonight with Jake."

"Why is that? I wanted to be here with him."

"I just am," Fitz said looking at Olivia closely. He had a feeling that they were more going on between her and Jake but was afraid to ask. "Are you two together now?"

"Yes."

It was one little word but it cut deep. Every feeling that Fitz felt when he wasn't talking to Olivia for those ten months came back to him at once. To say he was hurt couldn't even come to close in describing how much pain he was feeling. He couldn't believe one of things he hoped that would never come true was happening.

"Were you planning on telling me?"

" I was going to tell you. I was just waiting for the right time."

"Are you happy with him?" Fitz asked.

"If I wasn't happy with him I wouldn't be with him Fitz. You know that."

"No, I don't know that because if you were so happy with him you wouldn't have had a problem with telling me.

"I didn't tell you yet because I didn't want to hurt you," Olivia said quietly.

"It's ironic that you say that because that's exactly what you are doing. I'm starting to think you take joy in hurting me."

"Enjoy hurting you? We are back to that again? You know what, don't answer that. I'm leaving." Olivia turned to leave but Fitz refused to let her go that easily.

"So were done?"

She stopped walking. She didn't turn around. Instead she looked up at the ceiling then back at the door. He walked up behind her but she still didn't turn around. She felt the closeness of him but he didn't touch her. As much as he wanted to he didn't. "Let me go Fitz. Please just let me go," Olivia said in a whisper.

He turned her around but she backed up until she hit the door behind her. She did this out of fear that he would try to kiss her.

"Liv you say you want me to let you go but I'm not going to. As long as I know that your heart hasn't let me go then I won't." He moved closer to her but placed his hands in his pockets. He placed his hands there so he could continue to fight the temptation of wanting to touch her. "You didn't answer my question but you don't have to. Because I know with every cell in my body that we will never be done."

"I have to go," Olivia said. She was hoping he took that hint that she didn't want to have this conversation anymore.

"Are you still in love with me?"

"Fitz," Olivia said. She was starting to become uncomfortable with him being that to close her.

Sensing how uncomfortable she felt and not wanting to upset her, Fitz took a few steps back. "It's a yes or no question Liv."

Olivia took a deep breath and locked eyes with him. "What difference does it make if I still do or not? I'm with Jake now and that's the only thing that matters."

There was a knock at the door that kept Fitz expressing his opinion about what Olivia just said. Olivia knew who was at the door, Fitz didn't, but neither one moved. There was another knock on the door and Olivia heard Jake's voice call her name. Fitz took a few more steps back as Olivia turned around to open the door.

"Ready?" Jake asked. He was past being nice towards Fitz for the night so he pretended that Fitz wasn't there.

"Yes," Olivia said.

"Jake can I speak to you for a minute?"

Jake didn't respond but followed Fitz to his desk. He didn't know what Fitz wanted but he had a feeling that it had something to do with Olivia.

Fitz spoke low enough so Olivia wouldn't be able to hear him. "I just wanted to say congratulations." Fitz stuck out his hand for Jake to shake.

Jake hesitated for a moment before shaking his hand. "Congratulations for what?

"For winning Olivia," Fitz said.

"This was never a competition."

"Well, when a man pursues the woman I love I view it as competition. You may have her but I still don't give up that easily. She is mine and will always be."

"But it looks like she wants me and not you. So here's some advice. Go back out there to your wife and enjoy the rest of your evening. Then wake up tomorrow and work on getting past the relationship you once had with Olivia. That way you can save yourself from any future embarrassment that comes from running behind someone who doesn't want you anymore."

Fitz initially reaction to Jake's cockiness was to punch him but then he remembered Olivia was there. He needed to keep his anger under control so he slowly let his balled up hand relax.

"Have a good evening, Capt. Ballard," Fitz said in calm voice.

"You do the same, Mr. President," Jake said with a smirk. He walked towards Olivia, took her by the hand and led her out of the office.

Fitz knew he needed to get back to the dinner but instead he took a seat behind his desk. He was going to give himself some alone time for five minutes. That would be long enough for him to get himself together in order to pretend that he was a happily married man who wasn't heartbroken. Fitz now felt the way he did after waking up from his coma. Professing his undying love to Olivia was no longer enough. No more words were needed, just action. Some people were going to be upset and angry with his future plans but he didn't care. He was going to do what he had to do this get his woman back and nothing was going to stand in the way of that.

* * *

**A/N: There were several things that kept me from updating sooner and I apologize. This was the last chapter but I hoped you enjoyed it. I also hope you enjoyed the story as a whole. I promise to do a sequel. I just need a little time before I start writing it. Thank you so much for the encouragement to continue this story after the last chapter. I'll admit that I lost a little motivation but your kind and thoughtful words changed that. As always, thanks for reading :). **


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